Seeking Help
by Selvanic
Summary: When Envy is sent to a psychiatrist, he finds a new method for 'tormenting' his chibi, and Ed is forced to find retaliation methods. EdxEnvy
1. Chapter 1

_Ok, so I got a laptop. At last. But, we don't have a wireless adapter at my house. I can only access the net during my Japanese class. Heh…so my teacher has to put up with my typing and being on my laptop all class long. XD It helps to be the best student there. _

_Anyway, since I've had this new computer, I've been writing this. It has significantly longer chapters than my other stories, so I hope you'll all be able to tolerate this. Yay for more fan fiction! Oh, and the whole copyright things are in place; as par the usual. _

_---_

"You want me to do _what?!_" Envy demanded incredulously.

Lust shrugged indifferently. "I want you to see a shrink," she explained for the third time.

Envy scoffed and threw his hands in the air. "I am NOT seeing a shrink," he spat angrily, "I have no reason to!"

"Oh no?" Lust inquired with an elegant lift of her eyebrow, "Tell me, what do you think when I say 'Fullmetal'?"

The emerald-black haired homunculus cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Just answer the question."

Sighing, Envy fell back onto the nearby couch and leaned his head back. Violet eyes fixed on the ceiling, he answered, "Ok…I think egotistical, over emotional chibi." A sadistic smile crept over Envy's pretty androgynous face. "And a new toy."

Lust sat down beside him. "There's the reason I want you to go."

"Because I don't like chibi-chan?"

"No," she answered, "Because you don't understand how you feel for the Fullmetal boy."

"Huh?"

Shaking her head, Lust didn't bother answering his less than intelligent inquiry. "Look, I've already made your first appointment. You'll see him tomorrow afternoon."

Envy looked furious. "You didn't even wait for my permission?!" he snapped.

"You wouldn't have given it anyway. I've already proven that much. Thereby, it would have been foolish of me to have waited for something I never would have received." She smiled becomingly at him. "No need to get snippy. Save all that emotion for your appointment."

"Like Hell I'm going!" Envy snorted, "Just because you made the damn appointment does _not_ mean that I am obliged to attend it."

Lust shrugged indifferently. "I suppose," she answered, "But then, you're banking on the idea that I won't make you go. It is, after all, my money."

She'd actually paid? Well that made things complicated. Lust did _not _throw her money around haphazardly. If anything, she was extremely conservative with it. So if she actually _paid_ for the appointment, that meant he was going, whether he liked it or not. Scoffing, but saying nothing in retaliation, Envy got back on his feet and headed straight to his room.

"Did Lust tell you?" a soft female voice inquired before he could reach his destination.

Envy turned. There, standing in the large main doorway, was Dante, slender arms crossed. She was staring expectantly - if not in amusement - at the flustered homunculus.

Raising an eyebrow, Envy asked, "What? About my appointment with the shrink?"

"Yes," she replied, "So I assume you intend to go?"

He frowned slightly. "You want me to?"

Dante merely nodded, her posture suggesting that it'd be best for his health if he didn't ask questions. She obviously had something in mind by supporting Lust's psych idea. It wasn't often the two agreed on anything, much less anything in regards to the other homunculi. This was bad. They had a plan.

Shrugging, Envy didn't affirm, nor deny, her assumption. By the looks of it, he didn't have a choice anyway, and the only answer he could therefore give would be redundant. Instead, he bowed mockingly, giving her her undeserving respect, and headed back toward his room. There wasn't possibly anything else she wanted from him.

He didn't sleep. Envy rarely did. It helped contribute to his rather bad temper and overall irritability. Not that he didn't want to sleep. Far from it. He'd have given his left arm to be able to sleep. And yet, he couldn't. His body simply wouldn't allow him to. If he ever did manage to sleep - which was rare, but occasional - he was plagued by various nightmares, making it anything but restful. And really, in the end, it made things worse for his next day's temperament. Therefore, the psychiatrist was going to have one _very _cranky Envy to deal with.

The morning came, as horribly expected and dreaded, and Envy was forced to leave the sanctuary of his room. As always, he was second only to Dante in his arrival in the main hall. Lust wouldn't be much longer. Wrath would be last, arriving a good twenty minutes after Envy.

Dante nodded her head in customary acknowledgment, mumbling something of a greeting. Envy returned the gesture.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked her, as had become habit.

"Well enough." It was her routine reply. "Did you?"

Well now that was out of the ordinary. And it was much too early for Envy to try and deal with curve balls. Which meant only one thing; snort incoherently.

And that's just what he did.

His master raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "And just what does that mean?" she queried, keeping her calm freakishly well.

"It means just that," Envy answered cautiously. And he repeated the incoherent snort.

Rolling her eyes, Dante let it go and wandered off. Envy didn't give a damn where she was off to.

"Still haven't altered your hair yet?" Lust's voice teased.

Envy smiled cynically as he turned to face the pretty female homunculus. "Haven't had the will to yet. I figured the shrink would like an appearance to match the no doubt stunning review you gave him."

Lust arched an eyebrow as she approached. "You think I told him about you?"

"Don't you have to?" Envy was mildly confused. He thought for sure the psych would want a brief profile of who was coming in, and for what reason. If he didn't, couldn't he wind up with some sort of serial killer and never know beforehand?

Smiling, Lust returned, "Yes, you do. I just like watching you squirm."

Envy scoffed and frowned deeply. "And just what did you tell him."

"I can't tell you," she answered, now standing right beside him, "That would defeat the purpose. You have to find out what's wrong with you on your own so you can fix it."

The shape shifter stared her down stubbornly. "I don't have a problem," he hissed.

Lust simply pat him on the head as if he was some sort of child. "You go ahead and think that," she mocked before walking off the same way Dante had.

Fine. Let them taunt him. Let them plot their little schemes. _He_ wasn't buying. He knew damn well there was nothing wrong with him - at least nothing some stupid human could 'analyze' - and so they were doomed to fail. Smiling triumphantly, Envy altered forms to clean himself from his night's restless sleep and marched after the two women. No doubt Dante had a new maid to make them breakfast.

Given, they had to wait another fifteen minutes to eat, as they were oddly courteous enough to wait for everyone before eating, but breakfast was relatively enjoyable enough. However, with the conclusion of breakfast, Lust took it upon herself to announce to the others why Envy would be missing for most of the afternoon. Damn her.

Sloth smiled placidly, giving no reason for disdainful comments or acid remarks. Wrath looked confused, as if he didn't quite understand what was going on. Pride smiled faintly, giving off that disgusting air of patronization. Gluttony was in the kitchen. Envy said nothing. He simply looked at each homunculus individually before walking quietly and angrily out of the kitchen.

Dante wasn't far behind him, following him like the dog he was to her. "Envy," she said, instantly commanding his attention, "Turn around."

Biting his lip against various angered curses, Envy turned slowly on his heel to face the woman. "Yes, Dante?" he asked compliantly.

"Don't look so upset," she smiled, acting frighteningly like a parent with an unruly child, "It's only one appointment. I think it will be good for you."

Why was she being so nice? What kind of sick motives was she hiding? She only ever acted like this around the alchemists she was constantly trying to dupe, never with the homunculi. The homunculi were tools to her, not creatures worthy of her respect or kindness - not that humans fell in that category either. Envy's guard went up. This was getting weird.

"Whatever you say," he muttered.

Her temper flared habitually at the blatant lack of respect. "What did you say?" she snarled low in her throat.

Envy shook his head, bowing it slightly at the same time. "Nothing. I just don't understand what good this is. Isn't it all a waste of time?"

"If it is," she answered, her sickeningly false sweet tone returning, "I have a back-up plan. Don't you worry." And then, before Envy could speak to her further, she took her leave. Calling over her shoulder, she said, "I'm going out. Don't wait up."

Envy stared after her, more than a little irritated. This day was already going to shit. Whatever. What was one day in an eternity? Then again, come to think of it, the past four hundred years hadn't exactly been the best times of his life. Not even close. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a really _good_ day. Which was borderline depressing.

Sloth's tapered hand on his shoulder jarred him from his attempt to find what one would deem a 'good day'. He callously brushed her away like some sort of insect, not liking the idea of others attempting to 'console' him.

"Envy, dear, try not to think about it," she smiled, apparently oblivious to his rejection, "It's just one time, right?"

"So everyone says," he snorted.

Sloth ruffled his hair - the second person to treat him like that - and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "You'll be fine," she comforted.

Without turning around, he heard her take her leave, knowing full well she was off to play military secretary to Pride. Why couldn't he have gotten a job like that? That would have been so easy. No. He had to be the one to infiltrate, to do all the dirty work. Not that he opposed. Tormenting and watching humans writhe and suffer were two of his favorite things to do. And most recently, he'd found his favorite target; Fullmetal chibi-chan. What a perfect little toy. Not only did he carry the blood of the damned man who had made Envy's life the eternal hell hole it was, but he was also so easy. As chibi-chan was still a child, his emotions still played a heavy role in all he did. For example, his love for his brother drove him to face the homunculi in an attempt to discover the Philosopher's Stone. And his anger toward injustice made him so easy to rile up; it was fun. What made it better, was that chibi-chan was their new target, their latest victim in the manipulation game. And Envy was the key player in that game. That meant that it wasn't even out of his way to do what he did to chibi-chan. In fact, it was almost supported. So then why did Lust bring him up in regards to the impending trip to the shrink? What had she meant by 'not understanding his feelings'?

Envy sighed heavily and shuffled off in no particular direction. He didn't care where he wound up, as long as he didn't have to suffer through any more homunculi nosing into his trip to the psychiatrist. The appointment was now within mere hours, and he really didn't feel like thinking about it any more than he had to. Best to ignore it and face it only when it came up. That strategy had worked this long, right?

Unfortunately, the hours ticked by faster than anticipated, faster than he'd wanted. Lust had made the effort in finding him, and quite easily dragged him back into the mansion. One would think it would have taken her longer, considering he had a whole underground city to hide in. Apparently he was more predictable then he'd thought. That simply put more of a damper on his already miserable day.

"We're going to be late," she scolded him, "Now clean yourself up."

Envy frowned at her, but gave no argument. Altering forms appropriately, Envy then stared expectantly at his antagonist. "What? Which form should I take? What did you say I looked like?"

Smiling softly, Lust answered, "I described the lunatic standing in front of me."

The shape shifter glared at his fellow sin incarnate. "You're brilliant, you know that?"

"You can't really be _that_ mad about this," Lust said flatly.

Glaring disrespectfully at her, he shot back, "You're right, I'm not mad. I'M FURIOUS!!" He knocked her hand away from him, preventing her from doing whatever it was she'd been planning to. If he was going to attend this 'session', he wasn't going to go quietly.

Lust, apparently, didn't have time for such foolishness. Her fingers were faster than Envy, and in one cruel shot, she had him pinned up against the far wall, her nails embedded deep into his shoulder. "Let's go Envy. We wouldn't want you to be late."

He groaned through his teeth at the pain. Fine. So she was a tad more serious about this than he'd anticipated. So what? He'd just have to put up a bit more resilience. That, however, didn't seem to be on Lust's agenda for the day either. Hooking one of her deadly nails through his rib cage, Lust made sure Envy wasn't going anywhere as she headed out. The shape shifter kicked angrily, but got himself nowhere. Her fingers were too long. He couldn't even get a shot in, much less one strong enough to free himself. So, instead, he realized he was going to have to inflict more pain than he'd originally intended to. So be it.

Grabbing the finger lodged in his chest, Envy braced his arms and pushed, one hand on the bottom of the digit, the other on top. He could feel the bone giving way, could hear the subtle cracking. Obviously, Lust could feel it. She swung her hand heatedly, throwing the other's body into a nearby stone wall with force enough to crack one's spine. Envy gave a strangled cry, yelping having been made difficult by the puncture in the lower portion of his lung.

"Stop this idiocy at once," she snarled, "Or I'll bring you to the shrink in a hundred pieces."

Envy glowered defiantly, but realized she was serious. He'd learn to realize when Lust's threats should be taken genuinely. And showing up at his already unwanted psychiatric appointment in more than one piece was not something he felt was worth it. Why add more pain?

She clearly saw the forced resignation, as Lust withdrew her nail, reverting it back into her slender hand. "Good. Now let's get moving."

Shuffling reluctantly after her, he decided to get as much information about this 'session' as he could. "Ne, Lust, how long do I have to be there?"

"How long are you going to act like a child?" she retorted.

"I'm serious," he shot back, "I want to know how damn long I'm going to have to sit in a room with a human trying to 'analyze' me."

Lust looked over her shoulder at him, a look of tired boredom on her pretty face. "It's a two hour session Envy. But if you co-operate, it might not even take that long."

He raised an eyebrow. "You think I can solve my alleged problem in _one_ session?" Envy asked.

"If you pay attention, yes," she replied.

"And yet you insist on wasting perfectly good money on sending me to a professional?"

"What are you getting at?" She wasn't even looking at him anymore.

Envy shrugged. "I'm just thinking out loud here, but if my 'issue' is so minor that it can be sorted out in less than one two hour session, it isn't really worth going to a 'professional' for, is it?"

"That's the thing," Lust elaborated, "I have faith that you can figure it out in one session, but I think it will take a professional - a complete stranger - to help you see it. You don't think you have a problem, and that's what makes it difficult. If you can't acknowledge you have a problem, you can't fix it. And so I'm taking you to see a professional because he'll help you see that you _do_ have a problem. Once you take it seriously and realize its existence and potential effect on your life, you can fix it. Easily."

A frown that had once been of indignation and resentment changed to one of confusion. "So…what? You honestly think this guy's going to help me come to terms with myself?"

"If he doesn't, we will. We just won't be as nice about it as he will be."

By this time, they'd reached the surface and were standing in the streets of Central. Lust glanced about a moment before leading Envy down yet another street. Envy felt oddly calm. Here they were, two homunculi, walking down the streets of Central as if they owned the place; Central, the main headquarters for the military's State Alchemists. The calm that had settled over him was unnerving. He actually found himself longing to be found, craving the attention it would bring. But then, that was fairly negative attention. Not that he really cared. Attention was attention.

"Here we are," Lust announced, gesturing grandly to an ornate building.

Whoever the guy was, he obviously wasn't a slouch. If the size and exterior décor was any indication, he did quite well for himself, meaning he no doubt got 'regulars'. Envy wasn't sure if that was such a good thing for a shrink.

"Go on," Lust commanded softly, passively. "You're already five minutes late."

Envy looked at her. "You're not coming?" 

She shook her head, long thick hair flowing with the movement. "I'm afraid not. I have other business to attend to here. I'll come pick you up though." Giving him one final pat on the shoulder, Lust kissed him on the cheek and walked off down the street.

Staring after her, Envy scoffed lightly. Great. Now he was on his own to boot. He could run, just ditch the whole thing and come back in two hours to be picked up. Then he could feign rehabilitation. No, that wouldn't work. If his 'problem' was really as obvious to her and Dante as they claimed it was, and yet so elusive to him, he'd never be able to fake it. He'd have to go through with the damn session.

The shape shifter turned to the doorway of the building, swallowed all the dignity he had, and marched in, having the common sense to at least cover his feet with shoes. He didn't want to look crazier than Lust had already painted him to be. Once inside, he came to a large waiting room, lined with cushiony chairs, wooden tables littered with old magazines, and a television against the far wall. This guy really was rich. Not many people could afford those TVs. Immediately to his right was a large wooden desk, a pretty young girl sitting behind it.

"Hi," he greeted her with forced benevolence, "I have an appointment?"

Smiling broadly at him, she answered, "You must be Mr. 'Envy'."

He flinched. He could _hear_ the quotation marks she put on his name. There was no doubt about it now; they thought he was a total nutcase. After all, not many people had others phone in their psychiatric appointments and then give a name of one of the seven deadly sins as their own. He was so screwed already. Best to just roll with it.

"Yes, that's me. I'm afraid I'm a tad late." He returned her smile, trying to appear as normal as one can when dressed in a skin tight, sleeveless, stomach-less, violet-black turtleneck. And a skort to boot. Great.

As if he was nothing new, she casually directed him to the 'doctor's' office, telling him the doctor would be just a moment. She then left him there, sitting on a cold, leather couch, staring at an empty armchair. The office itself was overly decorated, with wooden walls and ornate paintings hanging everywhere. Exotic rugs covered the floor, and all of his shelves held rare books and odd statues. Envy smiled to himself. It looked like this guy needed the shrink more than he did.

Envy was jarred from his internal mockery of the man he'd been sent to see, by the sound of the door being opened.

"Mr. Envy, how nice to see you finally made it," a young and placid voice greeted. Impressive; no hint of mockery in the way he said 'Envy'.

Looking up, Envy found that his 'professional' was nothing more than a mortal youth. He looked no more than late twenties, with plain brown hair and a very plain, uninteresting, face. He dressed well enough, in a tailored suit and a tie, but otherwise, nothing was really all that striking about him. And even the suit wasn't all that great.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Envy smiled back, once again putting his acting to the test.

The doctor waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, don't worry about it. You're my only client for this afternoon, so there's really no rush."

Envy frowned slightly. If that was some kind of psychiatrist code for, 'go ahead and twiddle your time away, I've already been paid', Envy wasn't going to bite. He wanted to be out of there ASAP.

Discarding his already minimal manners, Envy cut right to the chase. "Alright then, shall we begin?"

"Oh…um…Of course." Envy's blunt suggestion had apparently caught the doctor off guard. After all,

hadn't that phrase belonged to the shrink?

The young man took his seat in the armchair and produced a clipboard from a pocket Envy hadn't noticed on the piece of furniture. He then pulled a pen from behind his ear, crossed one leg over the other, and smiled. But he didn't say anything. He merely stared unnervingly at the homunculus.

"What?" Envy asked flatly.

Shrugging, the psychiatrist answered, "I'm just waiting. I assume you know why you're here?"

Envy shook his head. "Not a clue. Enlighten me." Besides, wasn't it this guy's _job_ to tell Envy what his problem was?

"Right then. The person who made this appointment for you said you had an odd…compulsive nature in relation to one of your fellow human beings."

Envy held back the urge to laugh. Fellow humans; what a load of shit.

"She went on to explain, that this obsession could prove harmful to yourself, the other person involved, and your work. She also told me that you had no actual concept of this problem yourself. That's why she wanted you to come." The doctor tapped his pen absently on the top of the clipboard. "So then, is that true? Do you feel you have no problem?"

The shape shifter rose an eyebrow. Wasn't that obvious? "No, I don't. I think she's just mocking me."

"Right." Leaning back into his chair, the shrink continued, "Let's find the source, shall we? I want you to answer my questions without thinking, just let it out. I don't want you to impede your instinctive answers."

Frowning, Envy muttered, "Alright." This guy was nuts.

The young man uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. "Tell me, what does the name 'Elric' mean to you?"

"Shit all," Envy answered flatly. "They can all go drop dead."

"I see," the doctor said, scribbling something on the clipboard, "And what about 'Dante'?"

"Bitch. But I have to listen to her."

Seeming to warm up to Envy's callous nature, the doctor continued easily. "And 'homunculus'?"

"Screwed. All of them. We have to take what we can get, really, and the sky's the limit for us." Envy was surprised how quickly his answers were coming. Maybe this was a bad thing, he didn't know. Regardless, if the shrink tried anything with the information he was being given, the homunculi could rectify any problems that arose from it.

"One more now; 'Hohenheim'."

Envy rose from the couch, his face a mask of pure hatred. "What did you just say?" he snarled.

The doctor flinched and recoiled instinctively. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't realize the impact that would have on you," the boy apologized. "I'm just using the words your companion told me to."

Growling low in his throat, Envy forced himself to sit again, fuming inwardly over Lust's impertinence. If this was going to go on like this, he was going to leave. To hell with his 'problem'. He'd lived this long with it, right?

Apparently having calmed his nerves, the doctor continued. "So then, just what does the name 'Edward' hold for you?"

Envy glared angrily, but answered regardless. "Brat. Spoiled, but necessary. And adorable, really." Surprised at his own answer, Envy bit his tongue. Did he just say that? What the hell?!

"I see," the doctor muttered, writing continuously, "And just why do you feel that way?"

The hell he knew! "I don't know," Envy retorted, "He's…he's fun to pick on. He's easy."

Nodding, the doctor pressed, "So your fascination is merely sadistic?"

"I wouldn't say that," Envy muttered, "I just take…odd amounts of pleasure in his pain."

The doctor frowned. "That's the clinical definition of sadism," he pointed out.

Envy snarled low in his throat before shooting back, "Zip it, ok? That came out wrong."

"So then what did you mean?" Did this guy _ever_ run out of questions? And why did all this matter?

"I don't know, ok?" Envy scoffed. "Maybe it's not his pain…maybe it's…his reaction."

"I'm sorry?"

The shape shifter scrunched his face in contemplation. "You know…the way he acts when he sees me, when he hears me. Just…him."

"And do you have any idea where this fascination of yours comes from?"

No…not really. All things considered, he hated Edward Elric; or he was supposed to. After all, wasn't chibi-chan the very image of what he had lost? Didn't Ed represent to him everything he could have had? So then why find him so fascinating? Why enjoy his presence so much?

"I think," Envy began carefully, "It has to do with…comparison. I want him to see and realize what happened to me, so he can compare it to what's happened to him. Jealousy? Sure. No doubt that has something to do with it. The kid's got everything I could have…and don't. And yet he mopes around, as if his life has gone down the tubes. The stuck up little brat doesn't see how much he has, how much he could have lost. I mean, look at him! He's one of the military's finest, he's intelligent, he's fast, he's strong for his size, he's loved by just about everyone he meets, and he's got the strongest will I've ever seen on a kid like that." Envy had forgotten to care that he was pouring out his chibi related issues to some stranger he hadn't even wanted to come to as he continued heatedly. "And even though I'm stronger than him, faster than him, _smarter_ than him, I still have to treat him gently. I've been ordered to. I'm not allowed to kill the shrimp. And so I take pleasure in what little I _can_ do to him. I want to watch him writhe and suffer like the horrid little stain on my life that he is, but I can't! He won't let me!! The damn chibi has too much pride to do that; too much will power! And so I have to keep trying. I have to take different approaches. I have to…" Reality slapped Envy hard in the face. Why was he saying this, especially to some human nitwit who had no doubt been lost halfway through the rant?

"One final question," the shrink rebounded, as if Envy's sudden stop hadn't bothered him in the least, "What if something were to happen to Edward Elric that was _not_ inflicted nor had anything to do with you?"

Envy had never really thought of that. He'd figured the only _real_ enemies chibi-chan had were the homunculi, and therefore, everything that happened to Fullmetal would have something to do with Envy, if only by association. But someone else? Someone _not_ associated with the homunculi? Now that was hard to imagine. But he had to if he wanted this damned session to end. So just how _would_ he feel if that were to happen?

Frown deepening severely, Envy wracked his brain. Finally, he managed slowly, "If something were to happen to chibi-chan…that had NOTHING to do with me…I think I'd freak. He's mine - my toy - and I won't let anyone else have him. Mind you, if it's someone I know, or is directly involved with me, all the power to them, but you specified otherwise. Therefore, I'd have to hunt the shit heads down and kill them. No one touches _my_ chibi-chan."

A smile spread across the young psychiatrist's face. "I see," he beamed, scribbling furiously on his clipboard, a motion he'd been performing almost constantly. Whether he was writing down Envy's words themselves, or mere interpretations, was beyond the homunculus. And the hell he cared. "I think I've found your problem," the shrink announced.

This would be good.

"This obsession of yours stems from jealously, that much is obvious. You feel that Edward has wronged you in some way by possessing that which you cannot. However, in feeding this obsession, you're growing closer to him, and becoming more possessive of him. I think that your subconscious is working in some sort of odd effort to have Edward all your own, as it believes that by owning him, you by default own that which is his; that which you feel entitled to. However, in this need to have Edward all to yourself and fill this gap you see in your life, you've become almost fixatedly attached to him. And that is where you endanger not only yourself - as this could prove to be an extremely mentally damaging compulsion - and him - as you may very well begin to cause physical pain to him -" At this, Envy snickered, "but your occupation as well - as this seems to be threatening to overwhelm your entire conscious mind."

The homunculus waited for a moment, to make sure the shrink had said all he needed to. Once he was certain such was accomplished, Envy asked flatly, "So that's it, huh? I'm obsessed?"

Shrugging, the doctor replied, "No, not quite. You already knew that, I think. What I fear you didn't realize was the _extent_ of said obsession. You not only hate Edward, but desire him at the same time."

Envy choked. _Desired_ chibi-chan? Like hell he did!! And he made such feelings known. "Are you off your fucking rocker?!" Envy snapped, "I want nothing more than to see the little twerp squirm. I don't actually want _him_!!"

w

"You see? You deny the fact and hence it grows worse. You have to come to terms with this possessive desire toward Edward." This shit head was annoyingly persistent.

The homunculus snarled, almost angered to the point of removing the human's limbs. _Almost_. "Oh?" Envy queried through clenched teeth, "And just what do you suggest I do about said 'problem'?"

"I suggest you confront Edward yourself and just…talk with him. You have to realize that your jealousy is unfounded. True, he may possess something you do not - and you wish you did - but you, too, must have something _he_ doesn't. In speaking with Edward, perhaps you can help yourself focus more on what you _have_ instead of what you _don't_ have." The psychiatrist seemed convinced that Envy was _that_ obsessed with chibi-chan. And that answer - that 'solution' - was imminent proof of that. What the fuck was this guy's problem?!

Getting to his feet, the homunculus stared down at the young human with unmasked malice, darkly enjoying how the shrink squirmed uncomfortably under his stare. "Thank you, 'doctor'," Envy hissed, not bothering to hide his disgust, "I'm _so_ glad I could come here today. However, I have other engagements, and will now be taking my leave." Dismissively turning his head away, Envy walked out of the office. Two hours must have passed by now.

Sure enough, Lust was standing in the waiting room, her arms crossed in a look of forced patience. "You're out early," she smiled, glancing down at her watch, "Five minutes to be exact."

"How long have you been waiting?"

She shrugged offhandedly. "Not long. Maybe fifteen minutes."

"Good," Envy nodded curtly, "Now let's go."

Raising a curious eyebrow, Lust asked, "So you're done with your session? You see what the problem is now?"

The shape shifter scoffed and smiled cynically. "Yeah, I know what the problem is," he sneered, "That you just paid good money to an idiot. You got scammed sweetie."

Lust sighed heavily and shook her head, muttering something under her breath. "Fine. If you feel that way, go. I just need to talk to this 'scam artist'."

Envy didn't want to be there any longer, so she didn't have tell him twice. As soon as the permission to leave had been spoken, he'd begun to move toward the door. He only barely caught the last thing she'd said. Not that it mattered much to him. The shit was done with, that's all that mattered. And he sure as hell wasn't going back anytime soon. Let Lust do what she wanted; it was no concern of his.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

_And so I bring you chapter two. As if it was bleeding obvious, I'm having tons of trouble actually thinking of chapter titles, so screw it. X( Frustrating? You bet. _

_Regardless of my lack of creativity, I'd just like to say that there is some time overlap in my chapters. IE: While Envy was doing one thing in the last chapter, Ed would have been doing something else. And that something else is then covered in the next chapter - as I switch perspectives from one chapter to the next. I know that seems mildly obvious, and I don't doubt that many of you - if not all of you - could have figured it out on your own. But SOME people here where I live read it and couldn't understand how one chapter related to the next. Damned ignorance. _

_Ok, now that that's cleared up, enjoy! And do forgive the vulgarity of the language...it's reflective of temperment. _

_---_

Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, stared blankly at his ceiling. It had been almost two weeks now since he'd had an official order from Mustang, and well over that since he'd had to deal with those damned homunculi. It was slightly unnerving, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He'd take the down time where he could get it.

His brother, Alphonse, had taken the time to run back to Resembool. It was probably the first time since they'd started their journey that Al had traveled on his own willingly. Ed hadn't liked the idea, but he'd given in, as Al was insistent that Ed stay behind in case of military duties. Yeah, like the alchemist was looking forward to those. He really could have done with a vacation.

And so, staring at the plain, white, ceiling had become one of Ed's constant pastimes. If he wasn't doing that, he could often be found at the Central military library or one of Central's many restaurants. But aside from that, he was usually confined in his dorm room, watching the fan spin lazily, circulating the air. The subtle squeaking that had once served as irritation was now merely routine; simple noise that faded into nonexistence should one so desire. He also found he was getting more sleep, which was more than he could usually ask for.

Aside from all of this - and as much as Ed was liking his time off - he couldn't help but wonder. It wasn't like the homunculi to be so inactive for so long. And it wasn't much like Mustang to leave Ed unperturbed for so long. No doubt both parties were up to something; the problem being, what? Roy was probably just hoarding work, waiting for Ed to fall into a false sense of security before dumping it all on the young man. That one was annoying, but predictable. It was the homunculi that frightened the alchemist.

Each and every one of them had a part to play in their master's sick game of manipulation. The only homunculus he'd come across that _hadn't_ been part of it all, had been Greed. And he'd given Ed the key to destroying the rest of them. Yet, after his encounter with Greed, he hadn't heard nor seen so much as a remote trace of the others. It was as if they feared him. But he knew that wasn't right. He remembered all too well the pain Envy had callously inflicted on him at Laboratory 5. Not to mention the horrors he'd suffered with Wrath. And Lust certainly seemed too intelligent to fall back simply due to Ed's accidental victory over Greed. It had seemed like the others were out to destroy Greed anyway - not that they could have.

Yes, as time wore one, Ed grew more and more concerned about the lack of homunculi sightings. The military knew full well that Ed had the best handle on them, not that many military personnel knew they existed at all. However, those who did knew that they had to come to Ed if anything that seemed even remotely related to homunculus activity arose. And yet, there'd been nothing.

Pulling himself off of the small green couch, Ed shuffled over to the window of his room, staring out lethargically. His large golden eyes were searching for nothing in particular, just some sort of stimulation. He could find nothing. The sky was beginning to highlight itself with the coming evening, the descending sun bleeding the horizon brilliant reds and oranges. Soon a violet twilight would descend, only to be replaced with the calming blackness that was the night. And once again, Ed would wander over to his bed, fall lazily upon it, and sleep. It was all so tedious, he caught himself _hoping _for a distraction.

"No," Ed scolded himself, "Don't _even_ tempt fate. The last thing I need right now is a homunculus showing up outside my window."

The alchemist sighed heavily and pulled his curtains shut, paranoia having gotten the best of him. As long as he didn't see them, they couldn't see him, right? Yeah, sure; like that had ever worked before. They knew of him and his potential _long_ before he'd even known a homunculus was a possibility, much less that they were hunting him. If they wanted to find him, a set of cotton drapes wasn't about to stop them. And it didn't help that one of them could assume any form. For all he knew, he'd been speaking to Envy every time he'd stopped to chat in Central's headquarters' halls. No, that wasn't true. He'd learned to identify the shape shifter. He wasn't sure how, but there was always _something_ in the sin's presence that gave Ed chills. But then, maybe, Envy and the others had caught on, and had rectified the problem. Damn it! He needed to stop thinking about the damned homunculi. They were ruining a perfectly placid evening without even being there.

Ed threw himself onto his bed, burying his face into his pillow, content to call it an early night. And then the knock came at the door. Cursing under his breath, Ed rolled over and got to his feet once again, heavy boots thumping none too gracefully on the wooden floor as the teenager made his way to his door. He pulled it open impatiently, swearing inwardly at how much fate hated him.

Major Armstrong stood towering over the younger blond. "Major Elric," he saluted, face a perfect mask of military discipline - regardless of how comical the major looked anyway, "I received a report earlier today that you may find interesting."

Rubbing his forehead, Ed forced himself to respond decently. "Yes, major, what is it?"

"A local psychiatrist phoned in an odd complaint to the police today, reporting one of his clients for harassment and possible violent intentions."

Ed frowned. This didn't make any sense. Why was Armstrong reporting to him about a shrink's issues? And wasn't this sort of thing strictly police business? Since when did the military get involved in stuff like this?

Armstrong continued, prodded by Edward's lack of response, "I felt this would interest you, as the client he reported was one 'Mr. Envy'."

"WHAT?!" All color had drained from Ed's face. Envy?! What the hell?! Why was he at the psychiatrist's? What had the man ever done to the homunculi?! Wait; Armstrong had said the man had reported a 'client'. Envy was seeing a shrink? Maybe the others had finally realized the shape shifter was completely out of his mind.

"We have no definitive proof that the client is a homunculus. It could merely be someone using an alias so as not to be discovered. But I thought the matter should be brought to your attention." Armstrong was still talking, his tone still grave, as well it should be. The homunculi didn't do anything without some ulterior motive behind it, so what did this get them? What were they trying to gain?

Ed gathered his thoughts as best he could. "Ok…how many other people know about this?" he asked.

"Just the police," the major replied, "I thought I'd report this to you first…after what happened at the Laboratory."

Waving the cautious comment off, Ed continued to think hard. There had to be some way to find out if it really was - not that there was much doubt in the young man's mind - Envy. And if he'd been alone. "Where is the psychiatrist now?" Ed requested quickly.

Armstrong paused, thinking for a moment. "He's at home, I believe. We should be able to contact the police for his location."

"Good," Ed nodded absently, "I'd like to speak with him. Could you set up an appointment for me?"

The large man saluted, gave his affirmation, and took his leave, no doubt off to follow Ed's order as quickly as possible. Ed sighed. Great. He'd asked, and now he'd received. He could only hope it wasn't _really_ the homunculi; that it was just some crazed freak with a sin fetish. Yeah, right, like that was going to happen.

Twenty minutes passed with Ed pacing relentlessly in his room. He was growing more and more nervous by the second. And then Armstrong returned, bringing with him the news that the psychiatrist was more than willing to speak with military personnel. Ed heaved a sigh of relief. At least this part was going smoothly enough.

"Alright then," Ed smiled sarcastically, "Let's go have us an interrogation."

It took less than the time Ed waited to arrive at the man's house. It was a fairly large place, considering it only housed one human being, and Ed was impressed by the amount of money the man must have made. But now was not the time for that. Motioning for Armstrong to stay behind with the car, Ed made his way up to the large wooden door and knocked politely.

Eventually, the door cracked open, a meek and plain looking man peering at Ed through the narrow opening. "Are you with the military?" the man asked quietly.

Ed flipped out his pocket watch. "I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist. I'd like to speak with you about the report you filed earlier today."

The man pulled the door open and invited Edward in happily, his frightened demeanor fading fast. "I'm so glad you could come," he smiled, "I was afraid no one was going to do anything."

"You've never had a patient like this before?" Ed asked casually.

"No," the psychiatrist answered with an insistent shaking of his head, "I've had patients get mad before, yes, but never had I seen one look like that. I honestly felt that he was going to kill me; if not there, then later."

This was sounding very bad. Ed knew that look, knew how well Envy could portray it. It was certainly not something any average person could deal with easily. The alchemist was lead to the sitting room, and asked to take a seat. Ed did so, settling on one of the large couches. There were questions he had to ask to be able to properly verify the identity of the 'client'. That didn't mean he wanted to.

The man remained standing for a moment, his manners dictating him to ask, "Would you like something to drink Mister…?"

Ed waved a dismissive hand. "It's Elric. And no thank you."

The psychiatrist paled. "Elric?" he asked tentatively, "As in, _Edward_ Elric?"

Frowning, Ed muttered, "Yes, that's me. Why?" He didn't like how the man was staring at him. The otherwise plain face held frightened recognition, although the doctor clearly hadn't known Ed when he'd let him in. Why did his name strike the man so?

"So then…you know the patient…"

Shit. This definitely wasn't good. If this patient had mentioned Ed, there was next to no doubt that it really had been Envy. But then…had the homunculus actually been there for a psychiatric evaluation? Why?

Slumping back into a large armchair, the man sighed shakily. His hands trembled where they rested in his lap, his eyes suddenly tired. Ed couldn't help but be concerned. Just what had been said?

"Sir, if I may ask you a few questions…?" Ed had never really interrogated anyone before, and he wasn't quite sure where to start.

"Go ahead," the man muttered.

Clearing his throat, Ed started, "I'd like you to describe your patient for me. He may be…known to the military."

The doctor nodded slowly. "Yes, his description. He was an odd one; I'd never seen a patient quite like him. Flamboyant black-green hair, a skirt, a midriff, piercing violet eyes, and a vicious temper. He was _not_ a pleasant fellow."

Yeah, it was Envy. Just fucking wonderful. Ed's mood had officially gone down the tubes. This was _not_ what he wanted to deal with. "Was he alone?" Ed continued, forcing himself not to get up and scream about his lack of luck.

"No," the man answered, "He had a lady friend. A very pretty one. But she was cold, distant. She had the same eyes as he did, and long black hair, and a very well endowed figure."

Lust, he should have known. Wherever there was Envy, there was Lust. The two deadliest homunculi he'd ever had to deal with. And it just so happened they were partners. Biting back his flaring temper, Ed pressed, "Was that all of them?"

"The only ones who came to my office."

"What did they want?" Ah, the imperative question. Perhaps this would give Ed some kind of edge.

The man frowned slightly. "They were there for his appointment. She'd scheduled it the day before, giving me a list of information and questions that would help him discover his problem."

Ok, this was no longer making any sense, not that it made very much to begin with. Lust had scheduled an _actual_ psychiatric appointment for Envy to _actually_ try and fix one of his many problems. And Ed had come up. This wasn't sounding normal, by homunculus standards that is.

"Do you have the records of today's appointment?" Ed queried, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Of course I do," the psychiatrist answered, getting to his feet. "I assume you'd like to see them."

Ed wasn't exactly sure. But he knew, for investigative purposes - and possibly future survival tactics - Ed would need the records. The alchemist nodded, affirming the man's question. It took very little time for the psychiatrist to disappear and then return with a handful of papers.

Handing the bundle over to Ed, he explained, "On top there is what she told me as she was making the appointment. It includes her brief explanation of the problem to be assessed, his name, his appearance, his usual temperaments, and some words that may prove useful in evaluation. The next two pages consist of my interpretations to the questions I asked, which are written above the interpretation. Also, if you'd like, I have a recording of his actual verbal answers."

Ed flipped through the pages, noting everything as he listed it. Sure enough, everything the man described was there. All except the verbal answers. Looking up at the man, Ed replied, "I would like to have the recording. It could prove useful." That was an understatement. If Ed could get _any_ angle or insight into how Envy's mind worked, there'd be a hell of a lot less work when it came down to kicking the bastard's ass.

Once again, the doctor rose to his feet, shuffled off deeper into the house, and returned quickly, a small cassette in his hand. His efficiency prevented Ed from actually reading any of the actual information on the papers. "Here you are," he beamed, handing Ed the tape, "But it might interest you to know, the woman who was with my client also has copies of everything you now have. She seemed to want to review it."

"Isn't there some sort of client confidentiality in what you do?" Ed asked. He understood why _he_ could get it; he represented the military. But Lust? Wasn't she just another civilian to this guy?

"Ah, yes," the psychiatrist mumbled, "Usually. But in his case, I was concerned for the health and safety of others. She seemed convinced she could…correct him if she had the proper information."

So it was Lust's idea. But what was she trying to fix? Whatever it was, it was documented in the papers in Ed's hands. He'd solve this mystery yet.

Nodding gratefully, Ed got to his feet. "Thank you for your time," the alchemist smiled, "This will help quite a bit. And don't worry. By the sounds of it, you're in no danger."

The doctor got to his feet as well in a show of respect for Ed. "You're very welcome Mr. Elric. But may I say something?"

Ed had been ready to leave when the question had been posed. Frowning slightly, Ed answered, "Yeah, go for it."

"I think it may be _you_ who is in danger."

"I'm…sorry?" The color had drained from Edward's face once again. Just what was this guy implying?

The shrink shook his head. "Just be careful with this man. You have all the information there, so there's no need in my saying any more."

Ed stared in shock for a moment before nodding briefly and muttering more thanks. Suddenly, the whole thing had gone from confusing to creepy. Tucking the papers into his coat, Ed saw himself out and made his way over to the waiting car.

"Did everything go well, Major Elric?" Armstrong inquired, habitual salute in place.

Ed barely heard the question. "Huh? Yeah…it was…great."

The large man didn't seem convinced, but gave no further questions. Instead, he loaded himself into the car, waited for Ed to take his seat, and drove off. When they arrived at Central headquarters once again, Armstrong asked one final uncertainty. "Will you need assistance with anything?"

Ed smiled weakly at the other alchemist. "No, I'll be fine," he assured, "I just have some papers to look over." The two then parted ways, both heading for their respective rooms.

Once Ed was situated in his own room, he laid out the respective paperwork in the order it had been given to him. He then called down to the supply room and asked for a cassette player to be brought to his room. Yes, he knew they were fairly new inventions. Yes, he knew they were expensive. Yes, it was important. Having dealt with the less than willing lieutenant on the other end of the phone, Ed set to reading Lust's initial report to the psychiatrist. Obsessive, fellow human being - fellow? - , possibly destructive, personally unaware. Huh…generic enough. No names or specifics given. Skip the descriptions; on to the list of useful words. Elric - odd, but somewhat logical - , Dante - wasn't that the old lady Greed killed? What did she have to do with anything? - , homunculus - obvious - , Hohenheim - Ed's skin crawled - , and…Edward?! What? Why was _his _name there?

Taking a deep breath, Ed muttered to himself, "No, stop, there's no need to panic. You remember how Envy treated you; how he spat your name. It's probably only there because of his anger issues. That's no doubt why Lust sent him there. Calm down…" Consoling his nerves, Ed looked over the first sheet one more time.

Then the knock at the door came, signifying the arrival of his cassette player. Finally. Now he could get somewhere. The alchemist opened the door and took the machine from the reluctant lieutenant. He promised to return it before morning and shut the door. After all, he wouldn't need it for very long.

Ed set the machine up on the desk, plugging it in to the extra outlet that wasn't occupied by his lamp. His system was simple, and effective. The recording no doubt contained the whole session, questions included. Therefore, Ed would play a question and its answer, stop the tape, read the interpretation, and move on to the next. This way, he concluded, was the fastest way to get through all the information without skipping anything. And so he began.

The session began fairly casually, Envy's usually snide voice coming through as almost civil as he greeted the doctor and apologized for arriving late. However, the gracious tone was soon lost, as it seemed Envy wanted to begin as quickly as possible. The doctor went on to question if Envy knew the reason he was there, and, when the homunculus responded negatively, continued to explain what Lust had told him. Envy denied the alleged problems, and then was told to answer instinctively. Finally, questions were going to commence.

First word; Elric. Interesting, but expected response. Ed hadn't thought Envy would exactly say anything nice. So far, he was learning nothing. The next one though - Dante - _that_ would prove interesting. However, keeping with his system, Ed paused the tape after Envy's response to 'Elric', and read the psychiatrist's interpretation. Nothing special there. On to word number two. This one surprised the young alchemist. Listen to her? Once again, Ed paused the tape and read the interpretation. 'Inferiority complex, difficulty with authority but need for structure.' So…what? This 'Dante' person was their master, Envy listened unwillingly, but refused to leave due to necessity? Whatever. Might as well continue. The next two were more stereotypical, expected responses, and the interpretations held nothing worth noting - aside from the remark that the patient seems 'delusional' about their species. Now for 'Edward'. The alchemist's finger hesitated at the play button, afraid to know what was going to be said.

"Oh please, _please_, be another boring answer," Ed pleaded to the mechanical device in front of him as he extended his arm to press the button.

Once again, the voices came to life. _"So then, just what does the name 'Edward' hold for you?" _The doctor's voice, asking the question Ed wished hadn't been said.Now for Envy's response. _"Brat. Spoiled, but necessary. And adorable, really."_ Adorable?! What the hell?! In his shock and mild embarrassment, Ed almost forgot the stop the tape. It was only the doctor's hollow voice starting once again that jarred the alchemist back to reality. Hastily clicking the button, Ed leaned back in his chair, jaw slack and mind racing. Envy thought he was…adorable? What kind of shit was this?! The bastard was lying! He had to have been!! Ed quickly looked over the doctor's interpretation. _Must find source for fascination with this _Edward._ Could prove to be the central source of described problem._

Ed couldn't believe his eyes. _He_ was the reason Lust sent Envy to the shrink?! No! That couldn't be it! That didn't make sense!! The doctor had written it himself; 'could'. On to the next question. _"I see. And just why do you feel that way?" _That's what Ed wanted to know…_"I don't know! He's…he's fun to pick on. He's easy." _That sounded more like Envy. Still a little off, admittedly, but better than calling Ed 'adorable'. Again, the alchemist stopped the tape to read the doctor's writing. _A sadist; beginning to see problem._ Like Ed couldn't have told him that. Carrying on; _"So your fascination is merely sadistic?" _Um…yeah? Wasn't the guy's 'patient' making that painfully obvious? Perhaps, Ed mused, this would be the point at which Envy made himself a threat. _"I wouldn't say that. I just take…odd amounts of pleasure in his pain." _Bastard…

Stopping the tape, Ed leaned back in his chair. So far, he'd learned next to nothing useful. After that one misleading answer, Envy's had once again become the predictable answers. The blond debated continuing for a moment, staring from the machine to the stack of paper. Sighing, he realized he didn't have much else to do, and there could be useful information yet, although he highly doubted it. Given, Envy _was_ being oddly cooperative. Perhaps there'd be another slip like the one about 'Dante'.

"_That's the clinical definition of sadism." _"_Zip it, ok? That came out wrong." _Envy was becoming more malicious - none too surprising. But Ed was curious to hear what Envy _had _meant, although fearful as well. And the doctor hadn't written anything after that little outburst, so the alchemist simply allowed the tape to continue. _"So then what did you mean?" _Ed found himself holding his breath, praying for another variation of Envy's twisted intents toward the alchemist. Or at least, not another answer like 'adorable'. _"I don't know, ok? Maybe it's not his pain…maybe it's…his reaction." _Why was Envy hesitating? He certainly hadn't had this hard a time at the lab telling Ed how much he hated him. So then, why was he having so much difficulty relaying the same message to the psychiatrist?

Again, the shrink had written only a brief sentence, something about _subconscious sadism_, so Ed just left the tape alone. _"I'm sorry?" _Good, the doctor was requesting elaboration. Maybe now Ed would get somewhere. _"You know…the way he acts when he sees me, when he hears me. Just…him."_ Ok…this was once again sliding toward the area of 'creepy'. Ed paused the tape, this time more for himself than any actual information. He thought over everything that had been said, and realized, that he had become the main topic of the evaluation. Ed blushed in embarrassment and then cursed himself for doing so.

"Damn it, Ed, pull yourself together!" he scolded himself, "You _know_ Envy's just a sadistic bastard who wants nothing more than to kill you. What are you so afraid of? Get through this information!"

Ed began the tape again, noting momentarily that the doctor had written a brief response along the lines of, _perhaps sadism is not the problem. _Yeah…right. Once again, the doctor's voice questioned Envy. _"And do you have any idea where this fascination of yours comes from?" _Hadn't this question been asked already? Whatever. At least now it was in a different context. There was a pause before Envy's usually confident voice came through. And this was no short change answer. _"I think, it has to do with…comparison. I want him to see and realize what happened to me, so he can compare it to what's happened to him. Jealousy? Sure. No doubt that has something to do with it. The kid's got everything I could have…and don't. And yet he mopes around, as if his life has gone down the tubes. The stuck up little brat doesn't see how much he has, how much he could have lost. I mean, look at him! He's one of the military's finest, he intelligent, he's fast, he's strong for his size, he's loved by just about everyone he meets, and he's got the strongest will I've ever seen on a kid like that." _Ed stopped the tape. Was Envy…complimenting him?

The alchemist shook his head. This _couldn't _be right! Although the explanation had begun slowly, almost hesitantly, Envy's voice had become more sure of itself as it pressed on. Which meant, what? That Envy _didn't_ 'hate' Ed so much as 'envy' him? No! That was ridiculous! Envy said so himself; jealously had tons to do with it, meaning that it was the base for his hatred. That's all there was to it, right?

Having assured himself Envy was merely explaining his hatred, Ed allowed the tape to continue. _"And even though I'm stronger than him, faster than him, smarter than him, I still have to treat him gently. I've been ordered to. I'm not allowed to kill the shrimp." _That arrogant prick!! Biting back curses that would only be wasted on a machine, Ed forced himself to keep listening. _"And so I take pleasure in what little I can do to him. I want to watch him writhe and suffer like the horrid little stain on my life that he is, but I can't! He won't let me!! The damn chibi has too much pride to do that; too much will power! And so I have to keep trying. I have to take different approaches. I have to…" _And then it ended; Envy's rant at least. Just out of nowhere. Ed had been darkly satisfied to hear the homunculus' frustrations over Ed's stubborn demeanor, but a tad frightened by the anger portrayed in voice coming through the small speakers. It was the same anger that had poisoned Envy's voice the first time they'd met. But why did the shape shifter stop? Something must have clicked, and caused Envy to realize something. Whatever the case, Ed stopped the tape and looked over the psychiatrist's scribbled interpretation.

_Obsession worse than first assumed. Jealously leading to violence. 'Envy' proving to be very fitting name. Fixation could prove dangerous to all parties involved. Underlying sadism seems to be his chosen solution. _Boring enough. Although it seemed accurate as far as Ed could tell. Turning his attention back to the tape recording, Ed once again started the voices. _"One final question. What if something were to happen to Edward Elric that was not inflicted nor had anything to do with you?" _Thank goodness. They were almost done. Ed realized, now, that _he_ was the problem that Lust had sent Envy to work out. Why, he still hadn't determined…or so he told himself. Envy's gradual response forced Ed to pay attention once again. _"If something were to happen to chibi-chan…that had NOTHING to do with me…I think I'd freak. He's mine - my toy - and I won't let anyone else have him. Mind you, if it's someone I know, or is directly involved with me, all the power to them, but you specified otherwise. Therefore, I'd have to hunt the shit heads down and kill them. No one touches _my _chibi-chan." _Ed choked. Envy thought Ed was _his_?! This examination had now not only crossed the border to creepy, but had pitched up a tent and was a permanent resident. Ed fumbled with the machine in a moment of panic and repulsion before finally clicking the button to make it stop.

He found himself trembling slightly, more than a little shocked at Envy's answer. He'd been hoping for a, "The hell I care what happens to 'chibi-chan'." or even just a, "So?". But instead, he got this frighteningly possessive answer. Since when did Envy think like that - not that Ed claimed to know how Envy thought. Taking several deep breaths, Ed turned his eyes to the pages in front of him. _Passion for Edward extends mere fixation. Obsession is mixed with desire; a need to possess. Client is compensating for his lack of Edward's possessions by feeling the need to possess Edward himself. If not dealt with, could prove dangerous in future. _Ed didn't like that one, not even a little. Maybe the shrink was wrong; _hopefully_ the shrink was wrong. Ed didn't like the idea of Envy feeling the need to 'possess' him. It was bad enough knowing Envy was hunting him.

Still trembling slightly, Ed reached out to finish the recording. He was obviously close, and the sooner he got it done, the sooner he could attempt to make sense of it all. _"I see," _the doctor's voice said calmly, _"I think I know what your problem is. This obsession of yours stems from jealously, that much is obvious. You feel that Edward has wronged you in some way by possessing that which you cannot. However, in feeding this obsession, you're growing closer to him, and becoming more possessive of him. I think that your subconscious is working in some sort of odd effort to have Edward all your own, as it believes that by owning him, you by default own that which is his; that which you feel entitled to. However, in this need to have Edward all to yourself and fill this gap you see in your life, you've become almost fixatedly attached to him. And that is where you endanger not only yourself - as this could prove to be an extremely mentally damaging compulsion - and him - as you may very well begin to cause physical pain to him - but your occupation as well - as this seems to be threatening to overwhelm your entire conscious mind_." Ed didn't like it, but it was simply the longer version of what the man had written before. He'd known this would be what the shrink would say to Envy. It was how _Envy_ would respond that Ed wasn't sure of. And that was next.

"_So that's it, huh? I'm obsessed?" _Typical, Envy response. The alchemist heaved a sigh of relief. Clearly, Envy didn't feel the same way the shrink did. Given, that didn't mean the 'obsession' wasn't still there, it just meant Envy wouldn't act on it. After all, one can't exactly act on something one doesn't believe exists. But the doctor persisted on convincing Envy of his problem, damned professional. _"No, not quite. You already knew that, I think. What I fear you didn't realize was the _extent _of said obsession. You not only hate Edward, but desire him at the same time." _He just _had_ to say it, didn't he? But then, Ed hadn't heard or noticed any threatening behavior that would merit calling the police yet. Not since 'Hohenheim' had been said at least. So then, that must have been on its way. Perhaps in response to what seems like a preposterous suggestion. _"Are you off your fucking rocker?! I want nothing more than to see the little twerp squirm. I don't actually want _him_!!" _There was some openly malicious anger. But the doctor's voice remained tempered and calm. _"You see? You deny the fact and hence it grows worse. You have to come to terms with this possessive desire toward Edward." _There was still no indication of the psychiatrist feeling like he was in danger. And the writings had stopped. All that was left was to hear out the tape.

However, a knock at the door forced Ed to stop the recording once again and rise from his desk. As he opened the door, Ed came face-to-face with Colonel Mustang.

"Good evening, Fullmetal," Roy beamed with sarcastic joy. "I hear you borrowed some of our new equipment."

Ed frowned with unmasked hatred. "Oh did you now? Well, you must have heard wrong. Sorry Mustang." He then went to close the door, only to be stopped by one of Roy's gloved hands grabbing the door higher up.

"Where did you get a cassette, Fullmetal?" Well, those pleasantries were dropped quickly.

Raising an eyebrow, Ed retorted, "I didn't. _You heard wrong_."

Roy smiled again, this time with frightening hospitality. "Then you won't mind if I come in for dorm inspection." It wasn't a question, it was an order in disguise as an agreeable statement.

"Actually, I do," Ed shot back with equally forced kindness, "I'm in the middle of some paperwork, and would really appreciate it if you came back some other time. Sorry." Once again, Ed made to close the door, and, once again, Mustang prevented it.

"You don't have paperwork Fullmetal. _I _assign your paperwork."

Shit. He'd forgotten about that little detail. It had become almost habitual of his mind to shut out the fact that this stuck up bastard was his boss. But before he could protest Roy's entry further, the colonel let himself in, rudely pushing his way past Edward.

"Hey!" Ed snapped, "Get out! I didn't say you could come in!"

Roy picked up one of the paper's off of Ed's desk. "And I didn't say you could investigate anything," he countered.

Scoffing, Ed turned his eyes away. Roy was right. Ed wasn't actually _supposed_ to look into anything without the colonel's permission. That didn't mean he listened to the rule, he just made a point not to get caught. Unfortunately, this time, he'd required an expensive piece of equipment; one that the lieutenant obviously felt Mustang deserved to know about should it be borrowed.

"What is all this?" Roy asked, gesturing to the mess on Edward's desk. "What are you looking into?"

The blond shook his head. "It's nothing important. Just a complaint lodged by some psychiatrist."

"Is that so?" Roy seemed unconvinced. "Then there should be no harm in…oh, I don't know, my pressing this?" And before Ed could react, the colonel had begun the tape again.

"_Oh?" _Envy's voice asked tensely, _"And just what do you suggest I do about said 'problem'?"_

Mustang frowned, obviously not familiar with the homunculus' voice. That was a relief.

The doctor's voice crackled through with the expected answer. _"I suggest you confront Edward yourself and just…talk with him. You have to realize that your jealousy is unfounded. True, he may possess something you do not - and you wish you did - but you, too, must have something he doesn't. In speaking with Edward, perhaps you can help yourself focus more on what you _have_ instead of what you _don't_ have." _Oh shit. The bastard had said his name. Now he was in for it.

Roy turned and faced Ed, a look of confusion on his face. "Why is this man making reference to you, Fullmetal?"

"Who says it's me?" Ed offered with a shrug, "I'm not the only 'Edward' in Central you know."

The colonel nodded, but rebounded, "That's true, but you're the only Edward in Central's military headquarters right now. And if it's true that this psychiatrist filed a complaint with us, and this 'Edward' is a pivotal part of the complaint, that leads me to assume it's you. Why else would the military be concerned with it?"

Ed now had two choices. Admit he _was _in fact the aforementioned Edward, or tell Mustang that the patient being evaluated was a homunculus. Only one chanced Roy not reading through the papers. "Ok, ok, so it's me. Are you happy now?"

Roy shook his head. "No. Why are you involved in this man's session, Fullmetal?"

"Look, can we just talk about this later? I want to get through it all."

The colonel frowned deeply and repeated his question. "Why are you mentioned in this man's session?"

Rolling his eyes, Ed lied as quickly as he could. "Ok, so I maybe…transmuted his car into a cannon before."

The colonel raised an eyebrow, turned to the cassette player, rewound the tape, and played back the doctor's last statement; the doctor's solution. "And just what, exactly, does that have to do with this solution?"

"He's an aspiring alchemist. And when he saw what I managed to transmute, and without a matrix, he kind of lost it. It wasn't really the loss of his car, so much as _how_ he lost it."

"And so…" the colonel prodded.

Ed shrugged offhandedly. "I guess the jealousy's been getting the better of him. His family suggested he go to the psychiatrist, and we got the complaint because the shrink was worried this jealously would overcome this guy and drive him to violence or something." Ed then reached to take the papers from Mustang. "So if you'll just let me finish…"

Roy held the papers out of Ed's reach, smiling faintly at Ed's irritation. "Who reported this to you?"

"The psychiatrist," Ed answered matter-of-factly.

"So no one else is aware of this?"

Ed shook his head.

"Well then," Roy beamed, putting the papers in Ed's hands, "In that case, I expect to see your full report on this on my desk tomorrow. Good luck Fullmetal."

Stunned, Ed gaped for a moment as Mustang moved for the door. "Hold up!" Ed snapped, "Why do I have to report this to you?!"

"I'm your superior," Roy answered, mocking Ed's matter-of-fact tone. And with that, the colonel took his leave.

Ed swore angrily under his breath. God damn it! Why was this happening to him? First Envy's stupid little obsession and now this?! He had to make up a full, fake, report to put on Mustang's desk tomorrow. Like hell he was going to do that. The bastard could go without. A subtle 'click' caught Ed's attention, causing the young man took look over at the machine on his desk.

The tape had popped out, signaling the completion of its contents. Great. Now he'd have to rewind and hear what he'd missed. Sitting down and attempting to get Mustang out of his head, he did just that, rewinding the tape to the doctor's last explanation for Envy. It was once again the homunculus' turn to speak. There was a brief, tense pause before anything was said. Finally, Envy's voice spoke, heavy with sarcasm and vicious intent. _"Thank you, 'doctor'. I'm _so_ glad I could come here today. However, I have other engagements, and will now be taking my leave." _There it was. Not only the end of the session, but the imminent threat. Ed could hear it in Envy's tone, could picture the shape shifter's stance and expression. No doubt a threatening move had been made.

But then the doctor's voice squeaked through again, as if talking to himself. _"I fear for this man," _the thin, hollow voice said quietly, _"He is too proud to see this problem that could potentially destroy his life, and the life of one Edward Elric. He's a danger to himself and others, and if he doesn't come to terms with this fixation soon, I fear the worst." _And then the tape popped up.

Ed stared in mild disbelief. So, in the end, the whole appointment had been for naught. Envy had failed to recognize the problem that had been assessed, and had left possibly more spiteful than before. And the doctor was convinced violence would come of it. Ed didn't doubt it; Envy had that tendency. But Ed couldn't help but wonder, how accurate was the doctor's evaluation? And if Lust had grabbed the same information Ed now possessed, just what was she planning to do with it? Why had she sent Envy to the psychiatrist in the first place?

Frustrated and confused, Ed tucked the cassette into his jacket pocket, called the supply room to pick up the machine, and piled all the papers. He needed rest. He was too tired to piece anything together yet. Maybe in the morning it would all make more sense.

To Be Continued...


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter three! And still no chapter names. Feh. All my energy is going into typing this monsterous thing. Curse you laptop; you and your addicting keyboard. -sighs- Oh well. _

_Finally, something's going to happen. I'm kidding of course (about stuff not having happened until this point) but I liked writing this chapter. All the swaying of emotions was fun. X3 Ok then! Enjoy everyone. _

_---_

"So, what did you stay behind for?" Envy asked as Lust arrived shortly after him. "I do hope you got your money back."

Lust simply shrugged, a bag he hadn't noticed before held nonchalantly in her left hand.

Gesturing to the newly discovered item with a slight nod, Envy inquired, "And what's that?"

"I told you I had other things to do in Central, didn't I?" she answered vaguely. Then, clearly uninterested in anything else Envy had to say, Lust walked past him, mystery bag and all.

Envy frowned after her, but didn't give chase. He didn't care what she had, all that mattered was that the rest of the day was his to do with what he pleased. Well, anything but bother chibi-chan. Dante had given them strict orders to leave the alchemist alone for the time being. She'd claimed there was something she needed to work out before they could pursue him further. Suddenly, Envy found himself wondering if this appointment and Dante's plotting with Lust had anything to do with what had to be worked out. That would certainly explain all the chibi related questions that were asked. Frowning darkly, Envy shuffled off after Lust. Several questions would need to be asked.

He found her in the main sitting area, Dante standing beside her. He'd thought she'd left for the day. So much for that. And now Dante had the bag. Just what were they up to?

"Ah, Envy," Dante greeted, a faint smile on her face, "How was your session?"

The shape shifter scowled. "A waste of time and money. Exactly what I expected it to be." He then smiled bitterly. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Lust smiled cynically back. "Not at all. We were just finishing." The female homunculus then turned her attention back to their master. "So you'll look over all that?"

"Of course! I want to know as much as you do." Dante gave Lust an affectionate pat on the shoulder and offered a dismissive gesture. Lust took it as the order it was, and excused herself.

Envy was more than a little freaked out. He'd _never_ seen the two of them interact so calmly, so placidly. Something evil was going on, and it had everything and nothing to do with him. He was _not_ happy about it.

"Did you need something Envy?" Dante asked, setting the bag gingerly on the floor.

He'd been hoping to speak to Lust, but he had questions for Dante too. Flipping his hair offhandedly, Envy answered flatly, "Yeah, I did. Why did you allow her to send me to that damned psychiatrist?"

Dante looked truly innocent, which made it all the more fake. "Well, why wouldn't I? You've been acting oddly lately, and it's not healthy for any of us. So, I thought it best you go. After all, it's not like you were doing anything else."

"Of course I wasn't," Envy snapped, taking the privilege of being eldest for granted, "You won't let me do anything. And the longer we wait, the longer that Fullmetal chibi has to master the seal."

Shaking her head emphatically, Dante assured, "It's fine, Envy. Even if he does, he has a very hard time killing anything. And besides, we all know Greed was a fool. The rest of you are much too smart to be captured by that little boy."

Envy rolled his eyes. "You don't get it!" he shot, "We can't just leave him alone. He may just be a child, but he isn't an idiot. He's smarter than most adults we have to deal with. Why won't you have us do anything?"

"Lust was right," Dante smiled sadly, "And I can't believe I didn't see it."

"What the hell are you babbling about you…." Envy cut himself off. He may have been given special rights as the oldest of the homunculi, but that didn't mean he got away with much. She put up with his temper, simply because it was part of who he was. But she _didn't_ put up with disrespect, whether it was his, or anyone's.

Luckily, she let it slide. "Envy, go to your room, and rest. Obviously, the appointment had more stress on you than we'd anticipated. We'd thought it might have been a good opportunity for you to vent your frustrations, but clearly, we were wrong. Now go." Dante waved her hand absently, a gesture taken to meant, 'leave my presence and do as I said'.

Envy forced himself to bow before marching out of the sitting room. He had no choice now. It was either he go to his room and wait until morning before reemerging, or defy her, and wind up either sealed in a tiny little space like Greed had been, or tortured horribly until you chose to cooperate once again. Really, there wasn't much of a choice; not if one valued one's life.

The shape shifter made his way to his room easily enough, passing no one else on the way. His mind wandered absently, drifting back to his session, the questions, his answers, the bull shit solutions, and finally, the bag. Just what was in that bag? He knew for a fact that Lust hadn't had it when she'd met him in the waiting room. Which meant she'd acquired it afterwards. And considering she hadn't been much later than him in her return to the underground mansion, she couldn't have gone anywhere _but_ the psychiatrist's. So then, what had she picked up from him? What _could_ she have picked up from him?

All of that shit the man was writing, that's what! Lust had taken that damned clipboard! And not only had _she_ more than likely looked over it, she'd given it to Dante!! God damn it! Not only had they belittled him by forcing him to attend the fucking session, they'd taken the 'evaluation' for themselves! Those stuck up bitches!! And what the hell was the psychiatrist thinking?! Wasn't there some sort of client confidentiality thing he had to uphold?! Wasn't this sort of thing illegal?! Oh, that was it! This psychiatrist was going down, regardless of the fact that Envy had been indirectly quarantined to his room.

And so the shape shifter altered, becoming Wrath - as he knew the youngest didn't like being out and about when Dante was home. He then shuffled down the hall toward the main entry, and his pending revenge. However, as he reached the large, stone, foyer area, Lust's voice caught him off guard.

"Where are you off to?" she demanded, none too friendly with Wrath.

The shape shifter turned around and scowled at her. "That's no business of yours," he retorted. "I have every right to leave as you do!'

Lust scoffed and gave a slight sardonic chuckle. "You? Have the same rights as me? Don't kid yourself. You're not mature enough to wander off on your own yet."

"I don't have to listen to you!" Envy shot defiantly. He then turned and ran for the door, barely managing to dodge one of her incoming fingers due to his height. Thank God Wrath was short.

Having escaped the mansion with relative ease, Envy made sure he was clear of eyesight before reverting back to normal. Now for the hard part; finding the psychiatrist. But then, Envy could do just about anything if he really wanted to. Any homunculus could. It just required a certain amount of remorseless manipulation. And that came all too easily to Envy.

The shape shifter reached the streets of Central, only to find the sun had gone down for the most part. He hated autumn. So little sunlight; it was upsetting. After all, disguises weren't nearly as much fun in the dark. Shaking himself out of his daylight based thoughts, Envy realized he had to find out where the man lived, if he was going to take proper retribution. But where to find such information?

Envy made his way casually over to the psychiatrist's building, frowning slightly at the closed sign hung on the door. He'd expected as much, as the man had said quite clearly that Envy was his last appointment for the day. And so he'd have to wander, and hopefully find someone who could give him the location of the man. Luckily for him, just two blocks down from the shrink's office, was a police man. Who knew why he was there, the fact was that he was convenient.

"Excuse me?" Envy inquired politely, "I was wondering if you could help me."

The police man turned to face Envy. He was a larger man, with a receding hairline and sagging cheeks. Obviously, this guy had seen better days. "Yes? What is it son?" 

Oh, he hated it when people called him that. The stupid prick had _no_ idea what Envy had seen. If anything, 'son' should be the way Envy was referring to the cop. Forcing himself to remain civil, Envy continued, "The psychiatrist who works at that building down the street; where does he live?"

"Now why would you need to know that?" the porker asked.

Envy shrugged elegantly. "I forgot to pay him for my session this morning, and I wanted to get the money to him. However, his office is closed, and I'm afraid I don't know where I can find him."

The officer frowned slightly. "Couldn't you just pay him in the morning?" 

"No, I can't," Envy replied smoothly, "You see, today was my last session. Tomorrow, I catch the first train out of Central to start my new life. I'm off to Dublith."

Slowly, almost sickeningly, the man nodded his understanding. "Alright then. Dr. Gerard lives quite a ways from here. You might want to catch a cab. If not, you just walk back the way you came for…oh…about twelve blocks. Then you turn right, head up the hill for another two blocks, turn right again, and his house will be the second one on the left. It's a nice house, you won't miss it."

Envy easily committed the directions to memory, and decided it'd be a hell of a lot easier to catch a cab. Walking would only spoil his mood. Nodding his thanks to the large officer, Envy then stood on the street corner and hailed a taxi. Giving the man the directions he'd been given, Envy kicked back and settled on watching the Central 'scenery' go by. Only one thing really caught his interest; a military vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. Was that a red coat he saw? No…he was just obsessing. His mind was still on the afternoon's session, and chibi-chan had been the main focus for that. There was no reason for his chibi to be wandering Central at this hour.

The cab pulled to a stop, and the man announced flatly that they had arrived. Envy flipped some money out of his pocket, slapped it into the waiting man's hand, and walked out, heading straight for the door. Screw his change, the hell he needed it. His only concern now was finding and throttling the bastard who'd sold him out to Lust and Dante.

Envy knocked none too politely on the wooden door, a dark smile of violent intentions on his face. He heard the man before he'd actually opened to door.

"Did you forget something Edwa…" The shrink's question was cut off at the sight of Envy there instead of whomever he'd been expecting; Envy hadn't been paying much attention to what had been said.

As the psychiatrist went to pull the door closed, Envy stuck his foot in the way, using it alone to pry it open and away from 'Dr. Gerard's' nervous hands. "I have to talk," the homunculus snarled. "You don't mind, do you?"

Gerard had paled significantly, his whole body trembling. "Wh…what is it?" the doctor asked, voice shaking more than his knees.

"Answers," Envy sneered, grabbing the man by the front of his shirt and holding him well off of the ground. "Why did you give Lust the records of my appointment?"

"I…I'm sorry?" Gerard choked.

Envy shook the man callously, taking grim pleasure in the pain that marred his plain face. "Don't give me that shit. You know damn well what I mean. Why did you give Lust that information?!"

Clinging desperately to Envy's arm, the shrink mumbled pathetically, "Please, stop! She said…she said she could help you! She said she needed it to help you!"

"Bull shit!" Envy snapped.

The doctor shook his head furiously. "No! It's true! She wanted to know how it all went…I told her you refused my solution. She said she'd expected as much. She said _she_ could handle you. Please, I was just doing what I thought best for both of you!"

Envy scoffed in disgust, tossing the man back into his house and walking imposingly after the fallen man. "And she's the only one aside from you who has this information now?"

Swallowing hard, the man hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, we're the only two who have it."

"Oh?" Envy asked calmly, kicking the man heartlessly, "So just who were expecting at the door?"

Gerard curled up, instinctively covering his ribs. "N-no one!" he stammered, "I wasn't expecting anyone!"

"Liar!" The homunculus kicked the frightened shrink again, harder this time. "And know this, I have other ways of getting this information, so your life really doesn't mean anything to me."

Gasping and coughing in a fit of pain, the psychiatrist managed, "F-fine. You win! I…I called the police after our session. I feared what you might do, not only to yourself, but others. And I guess the police relayed my call to the military."

"I didn't ask for the story," Envy hissed, planting his foot on Gerard's chest, "I asked who you were expecting."

"A military officer!" the man shrieked, clearly terrified.

"_Who_?"

Gerard swallowed again, eyes wide as he stared up at Envy.

Applying pressure on the man's already weakened rib cage, Envy asked again. "I said, _who_?"

"E-Edward Elric!!!"

Envy's eyes widened. So it _had_ been chibi-chan in that vehicle. He hadn't been imagining things. And no doubt the chibi was now stressed beyond belief if he, too, got the session information.

"And just what did you tell Mr. Elric?" Envy spat venomously.

The psychiatrist shook his head. "No, please, no more of this."

Envy leaned down and whispered, "Then give me what I want, or you'll have to suffer a hell of a lot more than needed."

"He…he wanted the information."

Kicking Gerard away and further down his hall, Envy sneered and turned on his heel. "Sorry to have bothered you, _doctor_," Envy mocked as he walked out the door, "But I'm glad we had this talk."

Smiling derisively, Envy left the door open, hailed another taxi, and demanded to be driven to Central's military headquarters. Finally, an excuse to bother chibi-chan. And if the alchemist really _did _have the session information, perhaps Envy's dilemma on how to better torment the chibi had found itself an answer.

When the taxi pulled up in front of Central headquarters, Envy once again paid too much and left before the change could be given. If he kept this up, the cab drivers of Central would be lining up to take him wherever he so desired. Stupid greedy humans. But they weren't the ones concerning him; not tonight. He had a different target; a supposedly 'untouchable' target.

Taking on the form of one of the many soldiers he'd seen come and go from Central, he marched into the main office and asked the tired looking secretary, "Which room is Major Elric's?"

"Number 52-B in the State Alchemist division," the woman answered uninterestedly.

What, no 'state your business'? Hmph, what a waste of a well prepared lie. Nodding his thanks, Envy then made his way over to a large wall map, displaying the various locations throughout headquarters. Sure enough, there were the State Alchemist dorms. And there was room 52-B.

Envy walked casually outside, easily navigating himself to stand beneath 52-B's window. Checking to make sure no one was around - unlikely considering the hour - Envy shifted back to his preferred appearance before making the leap to chibi-chan's windowsill. After several minutes of quiet, but by no stretch easy, efforts, he managed to get the thing open without breaking it and invited himself in.

There, sleeping none too stylishly, was chibi-chan. The silly boy hadn't even bothered changing clothes. Snorting in mild disappointment, Envy walked up to the alchemist's desk. Sure enough, there were the papers, piled neatly with all the relevant information written upon them. Now to see if the chibi had actually gotten around to reading any of it.

Wandering over to the blonde's bedside, Envy leaned over his chibi, bracing himself on his arms placed on either side of the younger man's sleeping form. The homunculus then leaned down and breathed next to the boy's ear, "Ne, chibi-chan, wake up."

Ed groaned and went to roll over, his lazy effort easily thwarted by Envy's firmly planted right arm. Grumbling incoherently, the alchemist yawned and rubbed his eyes with his left hand. However, he didn't bother actually waking up.

Envy frowned slightly, not used to being denied that which he wanted. Reminding himself that it was to torture the chibi, the shape shifter once again leaned down, this time licking possessively at the alchemist's slack lips. _That_ seemed to get him somewhere.

The reaction was almost instant, everything seeming to happen at once; the young man's eyes widening with sudden consciousness, the hands clapping together, the automail blade placed strategically between their bodies, and the angered - yet still tired - question posed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was stopping by to follow up on something that happened this afternoon," Envy answered calmly, marginally acknowledging the weapon poised the gut him if he made so much as one wrong move, "When I noticed you have something that…doesn't belong to you."

Chibi-chan frowned defiantly, his metal arm still held firmly in place. "I don't know what you're talking about," he snarled.

Smiling tauntingly, Envy returned, "Oh? So then those psychiatric evaluation sheets are yours? Odd how we share a name, ne?"

That got a reaction. And a fairly good one too. The alchemist's face flushed, apparently embarrassed at being caught with someone else's personal information; especially when that person was now in position above him.

"What's wrong, chibi-chan? Still don't understand?" Envy allowed his eyes to wander chibi-chan's body, just to add to the little act that was clearly having its desired effect.

Flaring slightly at the nickname, the alchemist snapped, "So what? You were threatening the guy! It's my job to protect people from the likes of you!"

Envy pouted slightly. "That's such a mean thing to say, chibi-chan," he mumbled, "And here I was just trying to follow his advice."

"Y-you're kidding me, right?" the blond stammered. "I-I thought you…" However, Ed quickly cut himself off, having realized he was responding to something he shouldn't have known anything about. So he _did_ read the papers. Good.

Noting that the blade had begun to tremble with uncertainty, Envy shifted his weight to his right arm, and carefully guided Ed's back down to the alchemist's side. "Shh, chibi-chan," Envy purred, "I just realized the man…may have had a point."

The alchemist shook his head in disbelief. "No, this is just some kind of weird dream brought on by what I read. This isn't really happening!" He was muttering to himself, the silly chibi. And apparently, actually convincing himself. Well, that would have to be fixed, no matter how adorable his denial was.

"Could a dream do this?" Envy whispered, dragging his lips against the rigid young man's. Yes, chibi-chan was terrified. As the homunculus pulled away, Ed let out a sharp gasp, his breath wavering, his large golden eyes shut tight. Envy smiled. Oh yes, he'd found his new torture method.

Slowly, quietly, chibi-chan managed to speak. "W-why? The man…the doctor said…"

"I know," the homunculus muttered, "He said I should just 'talk' with you. That's not what I'm following up on." Once again, just to keep the alchemist on the edge of panic, Envy captured Ed's tense lips, nipping lightly against the bottom one.

Chibi-chan's whole body was trembling now, whether with fear or anticipation, the shape shifter wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was winning.

Finding his voice - which was now significantly meeker than mere moments before - the blonde asked, "Then just what _are_ you following up on?"

"The idea of possessing you," Envy answered softly.

Then, when he felt the chibi's entire body tense, the shape shifter captured Ed's lips again, this time easily forcing entry. The alchemist groaned in protest, planting his hands against the homunculus' chest in an attempt to push him away. Envy wasn't going to let that happen. Licking the inside of the teen's forcibly taken mouth, Envy lowered his body on top of Ed's, slowly dragging his right hand up the chibi's leg. Ed whimpered softly, clearly frightened by this development. The homunculus smiled. He had chibi-chan at his mercy, just the way he wanted him.

Pulling away, Envy took one final lick at the blonde's kiss swollen lips before moving his taunting kisses to the alchemist's throat.

"Ah, Envy," Ed choked out, "Wh-what the hell are you doing? Ah!"

The chibi cried out as Envy bit teasingly at his shoulder, managing to hit nerves even through the fabric of his clothes. Sure, Envy wasn't exactly _proud_ of his new found methods, but what worked, worked. And all he cared about, is how badly he could hurt chibi-chan; whether it was physical or mental didn't matter, just so long as Envy was the source.

Squeezing chibi-chan's waist and kissing heatedly at his face, Envy replied, "I can't have what you have, but I can have you. And that's exactly what I intend to do." The shape shifter moved his hips against his victim's, adoring the gasp of shock that brushed against his ear. "Every last part of you."

Face flushed, the alchemist turned away, struggling defiantly against Envy's weight. Clearly, chibi-chan wasn't going to make this easy. Not that Envy minded. The more he struggled, the more painful the chibi's failure would be, making the homunculus' victory that much sweeter. But he wouldn't claim that victory just yet, not now that he'd learned just how much he could torture the alchemist. No, he'd leave that for another night.

Envy licked the side of chibi-chan's face indulgently. Then, without another word, Envy sat up and left his chibi be, easily crossing the span of the room to the window. Behind him, he could hear the alchemist sit up, could _imagine_ the look of shock and horror on his young face. Yes, let him live with this little shame; build the torment gradually. Slowly but surely, Envy would drive Fullmetal crazy.

Alighting onto the edge of the windowsill, the shape shifter glanced over his shoulder to smile mockingly at the alchemist. "Tomorrow then," Envy promised with a slight nod. And with that, he dropped effortlessly to the ground below, much happier than he'd been when he'd set out on this vendetta. Maybe the doctor's indiscretion about handing out patients' information wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Then it dawned on him. He'd been away for some time now. He hadn't meant to be this long. Chibi-chan had merely been an unexpected - yet enjoyable - detour. Dante had probably wanted to speak with Envy by now, and found out he wasn't where he was supposed to be. Shit. He'd have to hightail it back to the mansion faster than usual now. Great…

Envy hailed his third cab that evening, and demanded to be driven as quickly as possible to the derelict church on the outskirts of town. Although the shape shifter was given an odd look, the man gave a compliant grunt and drove fairly swiftly to the aforementioned destination. Jumping out, Envy hurled a wad of cash at the driver and took off, not caring what the human thought. What mattered now, was getting back to the mansion. Hopefully, Dante _hadn't_ wanted to speak with him just yet. Hopefully, she was preoccupied reading the information Lust had given her.

The journey down was easy, routine. He didn't even have to think about it. However, as the large building loomed closer, Envy halted. How was he supposed to get in? Unlike chibi, his room didn't have a window. In fact, its only source of light was a lamp. Damn it. He'd have to shift back to Wrath again, and hope the whole place wasn't on alert about his sudden defiant disappearance.

"Envy?" Well…that plan was shot already.

Turning to see who was addressing him, the homunculus found himself meeting Sloth's placid stare. "Oh, Sloth, hey."

"What are you doing out here?" she asked softly, walking up to stand next to him.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Just taking a breather. You?"

Sloth smiled gently and replied, "I just got off work."

"And you came via the church? Not Pride's office?"

Shaking her head, Sloth muttered, "No, I came through Pride's office elevator. But I didn't want to stay in the house."

Envy frowned. Somehow, he was afraid to know _why_ she hadn't wanted to stay. "Why's that?" he asked for the sake of information.

"No reason really," she smiled, "I just wanted some time to myself."

The shape shifter raised an eyebrow. "And so you talked to me?"

Sloth laughed. Smiling genuinely at him, she answered, "Yes. Because I was worried about you today."

"Oh, please don't start," Envy grumbled, "I _really _don't want to hear another word about that damned appointment."

"I wouldn't either. I was just coming to make sure you were alright."

Envy nodded. "Yeah, I'm ok."

"And Ed?"

Envy's body tensed, his eyes, which had wandered to look across the city, turned slowly to face Sloth once again. "What did you say?" 

Smiling that docile smile, Sloth repeated, "How's Ed?"

"What makes you think I'd know that?" Envy shot defensively.

The female homunculus reached out and gently touched Envy's nose. "You have that, 'I bothered Ed' look on your face. It's cute."

Damn it! Why could she read him like that?! There was no way he was that obvious. Wait…did she call him cute?! Bitch…

"Don't call me cute," he snarled, brushing her hand away irritably.

Sloth continued to smile, as if he _wasn't_ trying to glare her into an early grave. "So you admit you bothered Ed, when we're on strict orders not to?"

Envy's face flushed. She'd cornered him into that one. She probably hadn't even read him in the first place, clever bitch. Envy should have known better; he'd had four hundred years to perfect his indifferent face. Shit, shit, shit. He'd officially screwed himself over.

And so he snorted incoherently.

Sloth laughed outright, her smile widening. "I got you! You went to bother Ed against Dante's will! I'll even bet you snuck out disguised as one of us!"

Wasn't Pride supposed to be the psychic one? Oh, he'd kill her; if only she weren't so useful.

"Don't worry," she continued, undaunted by his look of utter hatred, "I'm not going to tell anyone. In fact, why don't I help you? You need to sneak back in, right?"

Swallowing his dignity, Envy mumbled, "Yeah…"

Sloth once again - damn, she was persistent - placed her hand on Envy's shoulder. "I'll go in and speak with Dante about what I gathered today from the military files. She's the only one you really have to worry about anyway. Just…be careful not to fall into any more verbal traps, ok?"

"Shut up," Envy snarled. "And this had better work."

The elegant woman before him shrugged and brushed past him, smiling one last time over her shoulder. He trailed behind like a shadow, praying to anyone who'd listen that he got in without getting caught. As Sloth walked in, Envy hung back, focusing his energy on listening for Dante. The moment the woman was distracted, Envy was making a beeline for his room.

Several tense moments passed before he finally heard Dante's offhanded voice. Sloth hadn't been lying, which surprised him mildly. However, not wanting to take the situation for granted, Envy darted in quickly. He'd never been happier about his choice of footwear, or lack there of. With only the odd socks he wore, his feet made no noise on the cold stone floor beneath them, making his undetected entry that much easier. But then, no amount of silent footsteps could save one from finding another homunculus outside one's door.

"Envy," Lust smiled humorlessly, "Just where have you been?"

Swearing angrily, Envy snorted, "Nowhere you need to know about."

Lust raised a slender eyebrow. "No? Then you won't mind my reporting your absence to Dante."

"And what the hell makes you think that?"

The woman smiled darkly. "Because if I don't 'need to know' about where you've been, you've done something that could get you in trouble."

Shit he hated female homunculi. And there were only two of them.

"So," Lust inquired again, "Where have you been?"

Envy glared her down indiscreetly, making sure she knew just how much he hated her. "I went back to the shrink's," he answered coldly, "I had some unfinished business with him."

Lust sighed dramatically, raising a hand to her forehead. "You killed him didn't you?"

"No," Envy sneered, "I just…had to ask him a few things."

"It was about the bag, wasn't it?"

Fucking mind reading female homunculi!! Really, he'd have to somehow convince Wrath to kill them one day. "What of it?" he scoffed.

"So, are you upset then?" Was she completely oblivious to his unmasked hatred, or just used to it?

"Of course I'm upset," the shape shifter snapped, "You took my fucking papers! _And_ you gave them to Dante."

Lust shook her head sadly. "We're helping you Envy, you just don't see it yet." Great, now she was talking to him as if he was some disorderly child. Bitch.

"I don't have time for this shit," Envy grumbled, brushing past her and into his room. Then, before closing the door, he called over his shoulder, "I don't have a problem!"

To Be Continued...

_Did anybody catch that foreshadowing? Huh? It wasn't very much; just a quick reference to the fate of Lust and Sloth. Ah, irony. XD Guess Envy gets his wish after all! _


	4. Chapter 4

_WA HA! I got Chapter Four now too!! Eeee! Do the happy dance! -boogies- Ok, anyway, this is it! Yeah...that's about all I've got right now. It's, like, twenty after ten right now, and I've fried my brain working on the 56th page of this story (that's right; I have more than 55 pages of this). Hopefully, I'll be able to think up a suitable ending soon. I don't want to drag this out too long and lose all my beloved readers. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE MEEEE!!! - sobs- ...yeah...I'm tired...Meet the mysterious Eric!! Woo!! -passes out- _

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Ed trembled, staring at the now empty windowsill. What the hell had just happened?! His whole body was tense, his mind a flurry of confused thoughts and questions. Had Envy really…? And did that mean…? Why the hell did this shit always happen to him?!

Cautiously, Ed staggered over to the window, terrified that the homunculus was merely waiting for the alchemist to do just that. But no, Envy wasn't there anymore. The bastard had left, and taken with him a large piece of Ed's dignity. The teen pulled the window shut, sealing it with the wall using his alchemy. He then pulled the blinds, shuffled backwards away from the cursed window, and fell back against his bed. His breath was still coming shakily, his physical being still rattled from the encounter.

"_Every last part of you."_ The words echoed in Ed's mind, causing the young man to shiver involuntarily. But even as scared as he'd been, his body had reacted, and not in a way that Ed would admit to any time soon. Damn his teenage hormones!! And that it had been _Envy_ who had triggered such a reaction; Ed could have gagged.

Large golden eyes still fixed on the now impenetrable window, Ed slowly allowed himself to sleep once again. But it wasn't a restful sleep by any stretch. If anything, he'd have been better off staying awake. Almost every hour, on the hour, Ed would wake up and glance fearfully around his room, his sudden consciousness usually brought on by some horrible dream of Envy's promised return. And after five minutes of calming himself, and slowing his breathing once again, Ed would attempt to sleep, only to wake up an hour later.

Gradually, morning arrived, bringing with it the warm and reassuring rays of sunlight; of broad daylight; of security. True, Ed felt exhausted. He found himself staggering simply trying to get to the other side of his small room. But he was overjoyed that the day had come, that the evening had passed, and taken with it all of its horrid and confusing events. He could relax, if only for a bit.

And then the knock at the door came. Ed jumped unwillingly, and shortly after, cursed himself for doing so. What was he afraid of?

Ed opened the door, and found Mustang staring down at him, a look of odd confusion on the colonel's face at the no doubt frightening state Ed was in. After all, the alchemist hadn't slept - at least not well - and Ed was still somewhat shaky. But his voice had lost none of its edge.

"What do you want, Mustang?" Ed demanded flatly.

"The report," Roy answered smoothly, "I thought it'd be easier on you if I just came and picked it up."

Ed scoffed, and glared at the Flame Alchemist. "Sorry _colonel_," he scorned, "There won't be a report."

"Why not?"

Shrugging, Ed replied, "Something came up last night. I didn't have time to write one." Ed shuddered slightly at the unwanted memories that came flitting back at the mention of last night's 'distraction'.

"Is that so?" Roy asked doubtfully, "And just what was this _something_?"

A homunculus trying to rape me, Ed thought grimly. But he couldn't very well say that. Just thinking about it was painful enough; admitting it verbally - especially to Mustang - was more than Ed could bear. He _could_ use something along those lines, however.

Making a casual and offhanded hand gesture, the blonde countered, "A homunculus sighting was reported. And you know full well that _those_ are my department."

"And you know full well that your 'department' should be reported back to me."

Ed frowned angrily and snorted disobediently. "I didn't have the time," he countered. "The homunculus wasn't exactly going to wait for me to report to you."

The colonel shook his head. "If I find out you're lying, Fullmetal," he threatened, "You won't like the consequences."

Ed smiled bitterly. "Oh? I don't have anything to be afraid of in that case." And then, without the salute he was 'required' to give, Ed closed his door. He heard Roy laugh slightly, sarcastically, before marching off down the hall.

The blond heaved a sigh of relief and gathered up his shower supplies from the small closet. He needed to clean up; maybe then his mind could rest a bit better. Tucking everything under his left arm, Ed left his room, locking it behind him, and walked down the hall to the common bathroom. There probably weren't going to be very many people there yet, as it was still fairly early. Even Ed wasn't generally up this early. However, the Fullmetal Alchemist was cut off by Armstrong's large body standing in the common bathroom doorway. This couldn't be good.

"Good morning," Armstrong greeted, saluting habitually.

Ed returned the salute tiredly. "What is it this time?" he asked reluctantly.

Armstrong frowned slightly, apparently thinking about the wording to come. "Well, it seems the psychiatrist was attacked last night," the major answered hesitantly, "Almost right after we left."

"What?!" Ed didn't bother hiding his surprise. Envy _had_ attacked the guy? But what did that mean? Did that have anything to do with what the homunculus had done afterwards? Or had Envy's 'visit' been beforehand?

Nodding solemnly, Armstrong continued, "Yes. Doctor Gerard is down in the interrogation room now. He's requesting your presence."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ed demanded, tossing his stuff at Armstrong. "Let's go!"

The two of them made fairly good time to the interrogation room, Ed making quick adjustments to his hair as he went; no need to look like he'd just woken up. Sure enough, sitting at the table was the same man Ed had spoken to the night before. However, it took a moment for the alchemist to realize that.

The psychiatrist's face was bruised and his eyes were lined with dark circles, meaning he hadn't slept. His posture was awful, dictating a wounded chest, and his breathing, although measured, was quite audible. The man was in pain.

"Edward," Gerard beamed weakly as the said teen entered, "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

Ed shook his head. "It's no big deal, really. Are you alright?"

Nodding slightly, the shrink replied, "I should be fine. I just recently got released from the hospital; broken ribs, you know?"

"Did your 'patient' do this to you?"

Gerard nodded quickly, lowering his eyes.

"Why?" Ed hated to press the man, but he needed the information, both for Gerard's sake as well as his own. Maybe the attack had inspired something in Envy…

"I…I had given his companion the information," Gerard responded slowly, "He wasn't too impressed with that I'm afraid."

Understandable, although by no stretch did Ed support what Envy had done. "And just when did the attack occur?"

Frowning slightly, the doctor mumbled uncertainly, "Not more than five minutes after you left I think. I had thought it was you at the door, that maybe you'd forgotten something." Gerard shuddered and winced, the memory clearly not something he was too willing to recall.

"Just what was he after?" Ed inquired softly, "Was it just revenge, or did he actually want something?"

Meeting Ed's eyes, Gerard stared at the alchemist resolutely. "That's why I wanted to speak with you Edward. It seemed, at first, that he just wanted to hurt me. True, he wanted to know _why_ I'd given the woman his papers, but after I told him, it seemed like it was merely violent intent. He asked if I'd given the information to anyone else, and I thought of you. But I wouldn't tell him. He must have seen my hesitation though, because he pressed me further. He broke my ribs quite mercilessly, said he had other sources to get the same information. I…I'm sorry, but your name…it slipped out." Gerard looked horrible, distraught. "I had to make sure _you_ were alright. That's the real reason I came here."

Ed stared, wide eyed, at the man in front of him. So _that_ was why Envy had showed up last night. But then, why hadn't he attacked Ed? Why had he done…Wait! He had to listen to the session again. He had to clear something up.

Standing up, Ed smiled, "I'm fine, thank you. But you should really be more concerned with yourself. You've sustained quite the injury there." Ed then reached across the table, shook Gerard's hand, and helped the man to leave. "You've really been more help than you can imagine," the alchemist reassured the shrink as he watched the man get into a waiting car.

As the car pulled away, Ed darted back inside quickly, only to be cut off by Armstrong and Mustang. Why did these two always have to get in his way?! Armstrong looked uncomfortable though, like he was guilty of something. Just what was going on?

"Is something wrong?" Ed asked genuinely, trying desperately not to let his mind get distracted from what it had discovered.

"It certainly is," Roy answered with passive anger.

Ed glared indiscreetly. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Making a slight gesture toward the interrogation room, Mustang answered, "Your little 'talk' with the psychiatrist there; that didn't sound like something a jealous man would do."

"We didn't think so either, that's why he came here," Ed retorted.

Mustang smiled darkly, digging momentarily in his pocket. "Is that so?" the colonel sneered, pulling several folded pieces of paper from his pocket, "And I suppose you didn't think this man's, this 'Mr. Envy's', implications of being a 'homunculus' was suspicious?"

Face flushing, Ed snatched the papers away from Mustang. "How did you get those?!" he demanded none to subtly.

"I have access to _all_ the dorm rooms of my subordinates, Fullmetal. Now, care to tell me why you lied to me last night?"

Ed swore viciously under his breath. "Look, it was none of your business, ok?"

Roy didn't seem to hear Ed's reply as he pressed, "And your 'distraction' last night; just how much did 'Envy' have to do with that?"

"Why don't you just go fuck yourself?!" Ed snapped without thinking. He was so fed up with Roy's shit, with his superiority and his questions.

Taken aback, Mustang demanded, "What was that, Fullmetal?!"

"You heard me! Now piss off and leave me alone. I've got better things to do today than mess around with you!" Without waiting for so much as a snorted indignation, Ed brushed past his 'superior' and headed straight for his room. There was no way Roy had the cassette, and that had everything he needed right now anyway. The library would have a player he could use.

Entering his room, which the bastard had left unlocked with the door open, Ed scooped up the coat that he'd so casually discarded on the floor sometime the night before, dug into the pocket, and found the cassette. Smiling to himself, Ed once again pocketed the cassette, dropped his coat on the floor, and took off down the hall. He walked briskly past other state alchemists, repeating what he was looking for over and over in his mind. He couldn't forget, he _wouldn't _forget.

Ed made his way out of the military building easily enough. There were more than one exit, and there had been no way for Mustang to have known which one the blond would use. His departure had been unhindered. Boots pounding mercilessly on the cement, Ed hurried to the library, greeting the librarian who had come to know him.

"Good morning Mr. Elric," she beamed. "What can we do for you today?"

Digging the cassette out of his pocket, Ed put it down on the counter. "Do you have anything that could play this? And a room where I could listen to it in private?"

The woman picked up the tape and looked it over. "I believe we _just_ got the machine in. And it's in the personal study room. Here, just follow me." She smiled good naturedly at Ed. "Not that you don't know where it is."

Ed returned her smile, but gave no reply. What was there to say anyway? He knew full well that the personal study room was locked, and only the staff members had the keys. Once they reached the aforementioned room, Ed nodded his thanks and assured her that he knew how to work the cassette player. After all, he'd only just used one last night, and he didn't imagine there'd be many different models.

Sure enough, the player was much like the one from the military stash. Nodding his gratitude once again to the retreating librarian, he closed the door, settled in the single chair that furnished the room, placed the cassette in the machine and fast-forwarded through the first portion of the session. He knew exactly which part he was looking for. As the first words of the segment began, Ed played the tape at normal speed and listened carefully.

"_And so I take pleasure in what little I can do to him. I want to watch him writhe and suffer like the horrid little stain on my life that he is, but I can't! He won't let me!! The damn chibi has too much pride to do that; too much will power! And so I have to keep trying. I have to take different approaches. I have to…" _

There! Envy had said it himself! The homunculus was looking for 'new ways to torment Ed'. He was grabbing at straws. And so last night's 'occurrence' really hadn't been any more than another sick tactic to watch Ed squirm. That bastard!! How low was he willing to sink?!

Stopping the tape, Ed pulled the cassette out, stuffed it back in his pocket, and kicked back in the chair. Alright, so now he knew the _real_ reason behind Envy's little…visit. But the next question was, how was he supposed to deal with it? Just what could he do to defend himself? If he somehow managed to convince the homunculus that this tactic wasn't working either, than Ed would be freed of this rather awkward patch in his life. Given, a new, possibly more painful, tactic would be employed, but at least it wouldn't involve rape, something which Ed had _no_ idea how to handle. But how was he supposed to do that? How was he supposed to turn the tables?

As his mind wandered hopelessly, a polite knock came at the study room door. Ed swung his legs down, and walked over to the door, opening it without complaint. After all, it wasn't _his_ room.

"You have a phone call Mr. Elric," the librarian beamed, gesturing courteously to the front desk. "I have them on hold right now. Just click the hold button to speak with them."

Ed nodded his understanding, propping the study room's door open with the chair before heading over to answer his call. He wondered absently who it would be. Not many people knew about his almost ritualistic visits to the library.

Clicking the button, Ed answered, "Hello?"

"Major Elric? This is Lieutenant Ross," a familiar female voice greeted, "How are you sir?"

The alchemist smiled. Maria was always so pleasant. "I'm fine, thanks. Yourself?"

"Oh, I'm alright," she replied. Then there was a pause, a hesitation. "Um…Major? What are you doing at the library exactly."

Ed frowned. She'd been asked to make the call. Because of her previous assignment to him, Mustang had gone to her to find out where Ed would be. That arrogant prick. But he couldn't lie to Ross, it wasn't her fault. That didn't mean, however, that he wasn't going to cut corners. "I'm just doing some research," he responded casually, giving no hint of his suspicion. "Same as always."

Maria gave an audible sigh of relief at the other end. "I'm glad to hear that sir. Good luck then." And then she hung up. The line was probably tapped anyway. No doubt Roy had heard the whole thing. A lot of good _that_ would do him.

Hanging the phone up, Ed looked to the librarian. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" The woman looked up from the paper work she'd been doing to meet Ed's stare. "Oh, of course Mr. Elric. I'm here to help."

That was all well and good, but Ed wasn't sure she would be able to help him. But he had to ask. After all, he didn't have _any_ ideas. "If…If someone was…wait. That's not right."

The librarian got to her feet and walked over to stand in front of Ed on the other side of the counter, a small frown on her face. "Yes? Feel free to just say whatever it is."

"Well, that's the problem," Ed frowned, "I don't really know how to put it."

Smiling reassuringly, the woman offered, "Just say what comes to mind."

Ed nodded slowly, trying to put any of it into words at all. "Ok, so there's this guy who _really_ doesn't like me. In fact, he's always trying to hurt me, in any way possible."

"Have you reported this to the police?" she asked, seeming more than a little frightened on Ed's behalf.

Shaking his head, Ed comforted, "He doesn't actually. I don't let him. But lately…lately, he's been trying something…new."

The librarian nodded, silently prodding Ed to continue.

"I think he's…trying to 'apologize' to me. But he's doing it by making advances on me, you know? And I don't exactly want him doing that. Or anything like it for that matter. I'm almost more comfortable with him trying to hurt me. So…I was just wondering if you had any suggestions for deterring him." Shit. That didn't come out right at all. Now it sounded like there was some kind of love struck puppy following him, and Ed didn't want to hurt the guy's feelings. Hardly. Damn it! He shouldn't have said anything at all…

Thinking in silence for a moment, the librarian finally said, "Edward, this seems serious. Are you sure you don't want to approach the authorities?"

They wouldn't believe this, the alchemist thought bitterly. "No, it's not that bad. It…it's fairly mild so far. That's why I was hoping that maybe you'd have some suggestions for me, _before_ things get out of hand."

"Alright then," she sighed, "Maybe, next time you see him, sit him down and talk to him, ok? You have to let him know how you feel; that you appreciate him trying to apologize and make things up to you, but the way he's going about it isn't what you want."

Well, give the wrong problem, get the wrong answer. "Thanks," Ed nodded, forcing a smile, "I'll try that." Not. Like Envy gave a damn about how bad Ed felt about what had happened. If anything, that's what Envy had been _trying_ to accomplish. Telling the bastard how much it bothered him, would just inspire the homunculus further. Damn it all!

Smiling halfheartedly again, Ed nodded his farewell and went on his way. There was nothing in the library that would help him, not this time. It had done all it could for him today. Overhead, the sky was darkening with impending rain, a low growl rippling through the clouds. Just his luck, a storm was coming and there was no way he was returning to the military headquarters. He'd have to find somewhere else to take cover. Perhaps a restaurant.

The alchemist looked around and easily spotted one of his favorite eateries. It was a small building, specializing mainly in desserts. That would do.

As he entered, the bell on the swinging door jingled lightly, signaling his entrance to the owners. And again, the older woman who ran the shop knew Ed well. Recently, she'd even begun to give him discounts. He was definitely one of her favorite regulars.

"Good afternoon Edward," she smiled, "How is everything today?"

Ed shrugged offhandedly. "Not as good as it could be, but we cope, right?"

The woman nodded her agreement, her gentle smile never fading. "You're so mature for your age, Edward," she commented, "I only wish more adults thought like you did."

"Don't we all?" Ed smiled back, her good mood more than a little infectious.

Walking over to the glass display shelves with the alchemist, she asked, "So, what will you be having today?"

Ed scanned over the baked goods longingly. Perhaps some sweets would help settle his mind a bit. They would certainly make him feel better; they always did. But no, he couldn't allow himself to be distracted by the food. He had a serious problem, and only so much time to actually think of a solution.

Smiling up at the woman, Ed said politely, "I don't think I'll have anything to eat today. If you could just get me some tea or something, that'd be great."

"Alright then," she nodded, walking off to get the hot drink.

Ed shuffled into the main parlor of the restaurant, noting a couple sitting by the window. Well, he hadn't expected to be the only one there, but he had certainly expected more than just two others. Oh well. The alchemist chose the table he always did, off in the far corner by a single window. It gave a sense of privacy and isolation, and helped him think.

The blond settled in, heaving a sigh and pulling the cassette out of his pocket yet again. Placing it on the table, he stared ponderously at it. Not only had it become the source of his new agitation, it had also proven to be the only source for solution. But not solution enough to actually do anything. If only there was something he could do, he could say, to get Envy off this new approach. But then, just how far was the homunculus planning to go with this? Not that Ed was too eager to find out, but it would certainly be nice to know just how much of a threat to his sanity this really was.

Suddenly, Ed noticed something about the couple out of the corner of his eye. The woman looked familiar, her dark hair catching the light in such a way that almost frightened Ed. He didn't recognize the man though, not by any stretch. So then, maybe, his dilemma was affecting his mind. Nevertheless, the woman intrigued him. Who had he seen with such thick, black, hair?

"Here you are, Edward." The old woman's cheery voice broke Ed out of his almost obsessive inspection of the woman across the room from him. She placed the tea pot and a single cup down in front of him. "I'll go get you the sugar. That should give it time to steep properly."

Ed shook himself out of his shock long enough to ask, "Um…Do you know who those people are?"

"Those two?" the woman asked, looking over, "No, I'm sorry dear, I've never seen those two before. They just came in earlier today. I've been refilling their tea ever since." Chuckling, the old woman then shuffled off.

Frowning, Ed went back to staring at the woman. He felt slightly awkward about it, seeing as it appeared that the two were on a date of some sorts, but he had to figure out what was so familiar about her. Then it hit him. Lust! Her hair had looked almost identical to that. But this woman had it pinned up, all tucked and styled for her date. Ed couldn't imagine a homunculus doing anything like that, much less Lust with her distaste for human frivolities. No, it couldn't be her. It's not like she was the only person on the planet with black hair.

Sighing and shaking his head at his own unfounded suspicions, Ed went to look away, when the woman clearly caught his eye. She saw him staring at her. And she smiled. But the contact was brief, almost nonexistent. Without so much as a pause, she'd gone from meeting Ed's eyes to confronting her companion once again. However, when she _did_ face the man across from her, she leaned in to tell him something. She was obviously trying to tempt the alchemist; trying to scare him by making it evident that she was discussing him with her partner. Ed blushed in spite of himself. Because of his stupid uncertainties, he'd drawn unnecessary attention to himself. And now, from across the room, the man stood up. Shit.

That's when the old woman returned to Ed's table with the small bowl and spoon of sugar. "There you are, dear," she grinned, "All ready to go. You just pay me on your way out, alright?"

Ed was hardly paying attention to her. His large, golden eyes, were fixed on the man who was now standing and speaking to the woman the alchemist had so blatantly stared at. He kept making gestures in Ed's direction, indiscreetly referencing the teen in his conversation. Finally, the woman gave an offhanded wave and the man turned to walk towards Ed. The alchemist swiftly turned his eyes to the table, focusing on the tea before him. He could hear the approaching footsteps.

"Excuse me, sir?" a polite, young man's voice inquired, "Can I take a seat with you?"

Ed could merely bring himself to nod.

He heard the light scraping of the chair as the man sat down. "My name is Eric," he introduced himself, "And you are…?"

"Edward," the alchemist in question muttered.

Taking Ed's hand in a clear attempt to comfort the boy, Eric said, "Don't worry, I'm not mad at you. I just came to talk."

Ed looked up into Eric's face. Sure enough, the man was as normal as could be. With disheveled black hair of his own, and bright green eyes, Eric gave nothing but good vibes. His smile was even warm and comforting. Ed's nerves were eased significantly.

"I-I'm sorry I stared at your friend there," Ed apologized softly, "She just…looked like someone I know."

Eric laughed. "It's fine, really. And she's my sister."

Face flushing, Ed stammered, "Oh! I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't know. I thought you two were…"

"On a date?" Eric offered, "Yeah, we get that a lot. I guess we don't look much alike." Once again, the young man chuckled. "I really just wanted to come see if there was something wrong. You seemed…nervous when you were staring at her."

Ed shook his head. "I was, but I think I'm ok now."

Motioning to the cassette that still sat on the table, Eric asked conversationally, "Is that one of those new cassettes? I've only heard of them. Aren't they expensive?"

"Oh, it's not mine," Ed clarified, "I'm borrowing it."

"Do you mind if I look at it?"

The alchemist shook his head again. "No, not at all."

Eric happily picked it up, looking it over several times as if truly intrigued by the piece of technology. "Amazing," he muttered, "Where did you get this?"

Now quite comfortable with the man sitting across from him, Ed answered, "A psychiatrist. The guy has the money, so he uses the machine and cassettes to keep track of sessions. You know, the actual questions and verbal answers."

"You don't seem like one to be seeing a psychiatrist," Eric said, looking back at Ed.

Ed blushed slightly. "Well, you see, it's not really mine. I work for the military, and it's part of my assignment to look into this particular patient."

Staring at the cassette in his hand once again, Eric nodded slowly. "Impressive. For someone so young to be in the military, that's really quite remarkable." Eric then placed the cassette back down on the table. "So, this patient must be quite the handful if it's come to military attention."

"He's…a bit of a nut job, yeah," Ed replied with a faint smile.

Suddenly, something seemed to flit across Eric's face, and he cast a wayward glance toward his sister.

Ed realized that he was clearly keeping Eric from whatever he'd been doing with his sister. Obviously, the two had gone out for something, if they'd truly been there as long as the woman had claimed, and now Ed had intervened. Feeling more than a little foolish, the alchemist said quickly, "Oh! You can go back to your sister if you want. I really am sorry for staring."

"Hm? Oh, yes." Eric smiled brightly at the blond. "Don't worry about it Edward. Lots of people stare at her. She's quite the looker."

The alchemist blushed vaguely before nodding his shy agreement.

Getting to his feet, Eric once again took Ed's hand. "It was nice to meet you Edward. Maybe we'll run into each other again some day."

For some reason, Ed found the suggestion almost threatening. Why? This man didn't seem like any trouble. In fact, he was one of the nicest people Ed had dealt with in a long time. So then why did his phrasing bother Ed so much? Shaking off his doubts, Ed replied, "Yeah, I hope so."

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

_Ok, so here's chapter five. Probably the last one for a while, as my posting has finally caught up to my typing. Damn it! . Oh well, I'll manage. But yeah, chapter six is proving _really_ hard to write. I get random bursts of inspiration, and then it dies and I'm left staring at the screen of my computer thinking, "Jeez...where was I going with this??" -sighs- So, yes. Hopefully I can get the last two to three pages that chapter six needs for completion done soon. And then I'll get to start chapter seven...woot. _

_Sorry about the rant there, just venting some writer's frustration. Anyway, enjoy chapter five. This one probably has the most obvious time overlap, so...yeah. God I sound less than intelligent right now! This is what I get for staying up until one in the morning..._

_--- _

When morning came, Envy was once again in the kitchen, second only to Dante. He greeted her halfheartedly, more than a little tired. He'd lacked more sleep than usual, having been both irritated and distracted by the evening's events. The homunculus barely noticed when the woman began to speak to him.

"I think it would be good for you to go out today, Envy," she offered, "You seem overly distracted of late, and a day off may prove beneficial to you."

Envy raised an eyebrow. "You want me to take a day off?" he asked, "When we haven't been doing anything anyway?"

Nodding, Dante confirmed, "Exactly. And don't say it like that. You've been doing plenty; just nothing in relation to the Fullmetal Alchemist."

The name brought a small smirk to Envy's tired face. It was a good feeling, knowing he could once again torment the chibi. And to think he'd thought the visit to the shrink would prove completely useless.

Speaking of the shrink, Dante had his session information, didn't she? Was _that_ why she was 'giving him a day off'? But that didn't make any sense? What would a day off help anything? Unless, she would use Envy's absence to plot further humiliations with Lust.

"Don't worry," Dante cut in, noticing his vexed expression, "I'm sending Lust with you."

Well there went that theory. So then…why? "I don't get it," he replied, voicing his very thoughts, "Why are you doing this?"

Putting her right hand to her forehead, Dante answered, "I don't like repeating myself Envy. You know that. But you clearly didn't understand what I said earlier. I'm letting you go because you are distracted. Perhaps sending you to the psychiatrist hadn't been a good idea, as you seem worse off now than you did before. And because of this rather unexpected development, I'm letting you rest. Go with Lust, wander Central, and relax, ok? I promise you, this won't happen again."

This sounded so wrong! There had to be a catch, an ulterior motive, _anything_! But she seemed honest - as honest as Dante could seem - about the whole thing. To hell with it. Might as well enjoy what he could.

"When do I leave?" Envy smiled, shifting his appearance to one of his many aliases. He chose the dark haired one, with the soft green eyes and friendly look. At least that way he and Lust could attempt to pass as siblings.

Dante looked the altered homunculus over before responding. "You'll leave after breakfast. Lust will change appropriately in case anyone who could recognize you should see the two of you. And I'm glad you were smart enough to at least attempt to mimic Lust's 'genetics'."

The shape shifter smiled darkly, an expression which deeply contrasted his form's appearance. "I try my best," he sneered.

Breakfast past uneventfully, Envy having changed back to his preferred form while still in the mansion. Lust, on the other hand, had already changed clothes, opting for a much more casual appearance. Given, she was still wearing a sleeveless, low v-cut shirt to match her black slacks, but she looked less of herself. After the meal, Lust went upstairs, only to return several minutes later with her hair pinned and curled. _Now_ she looked very little like herself.

Altering back to the form he'd deemed 'Eric', Envy played the gentleman and handed Lust her long coat as she came to stand beside him. It, too, was black, but at least had white fur trimming to protect her from the chill autumn air.

"Shall we?" she smiled appealingly.

Envy nodded his head and allowed for her to head out before him. Easily catching up to his 'sister', the two made their way to the streets of Central much like they had the day before. But this time, instead of walking down the street, Lust opted for a taxi.

Taking his seat beside her, Envy queried, "Just where are we going?"

Lust shrugged elegantly and replied, "Anywhere but the military building. We're minimizing your stress today."

Envy laughed at the notion. Minimize his stress? What a load of shit. This was so obviously a plot to get him out of the house that it was painful. But he'd take the down time where he could get it. Besides, what was the worst Dante could do?

Their first stop was a small bookstore, situated near the library and across the street from a quaint looking bakery. Lust told Envy that she had a couple of books she was looking for, and informed him that she wouldn't take long. He was free to browse for anything that caught his interest. Yeah, right.

Deciding on waiting outside the shop, Envy took in the surroundings. It was still fairly early in the morning and not much was open. Even the library was just unlocking its doors. Ah, the perks of having a bizarrely early breakfast. Such was the schedule of a homunculus. Chibi-chan probably hadn't even woken up yet; or maybe, the alchemist hadn't slept at all. Envy would find that out later, if all went well.

"Come on," Lust's silken voice commanded, breaking Envy's speculations, "Let's head over to that restaurant."

Envy turned to look at her. "Hm? Why? You hungry already?"

"Hardly. I just need to talk to you." Her indignant scoff was almost enough to persuade Envy into thinking this _wasn't_ going to be a serious conversation. But not quite. Her eyes told him differently.

Shrugging, Envy responded, "Sure. Why the hell not? I don't have anywhere better to be."

As the two of them entered the small building, an elderly woman behind the counter greeted them pleasantly. "What can I get you two today?" she asked brightly.

"Just tea, thank you," Lust answered coldly, walking into the restaurant and picking out a table.

Envy trailed after her, not having any particular plans himself. He didn't have anything better to do, so he'd simply follow Lust, doing what she told him to; for now. They settled down at the table by the window, sitting across from one another. An odd silence fell between them momentarily, before Envy heaved a sigh and decided to open the conversation.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Looking out the window, Lust replied, "Your evaluation; tell me exactly what you thought of it."

He should have expected as much. She knew he knew she'd read everything; he'd told her as much the night before. So now, she must have figured she had all the right to his opinion. Yeah right. He had nothing to say to her in that regard.

"Couldn't tell you," Envy shrugged, "I pretty much covered it all in my session yesterday anyway." Raising an eyebrow, the homunculus conveyed a stare that told her he expected her to understand.

She refused to take the hint. "I don't care if you explained it all yesterday; you could have been lying, or watching your tongue in front of a human. Both understandable and expected from you. But now, _I'm _asking you, and I insist on an answer."

So she wasn't going to make it easy. Typical. "I'm not kidding with you," Envy insisted offhandedly, "I really don't have anything to say about it all."

"I'm not kidding either," she shot back easily, "I want your answer, Envy."

Just then, the old woman came over, setting down a pot of tea, two cups, and a bowl of sugar. "Are you certain you two don't need anything else?" she queried politely.

Envy waved dismissively, nodding habitual thanks. He then looked back at Lust, pondering over just what he should say. "I don't know," he muttered, giving in, "Hell, I barely remember what we talked about yesterday. I didn't want to retain the humiliation." Glaring openly at her in an attempt to place the blame, he added, "But _someone_ insists on dragging this out."

"You're doing it to yourself," Lust countered, "If you would just accept the help and acknowledge your problem, we wouldn't have to 'drag it out'."

Snorting uninterestedly, Envy simply shrugged, pouring out the two glasses of tea. He stared absently at the steam that wound lazily upwards from the dark liquid. Odd how carefree it seemed; how lethargic. Sighing heavily, Envy turned his gaze to the street.

People had finally begun to appear, a small scatter of early risers walking slowly here and there. A few individuals wandered into the open library, others filed in and out of the bookstore the homunculi had only just left. No one of interest, really. No bright red coat, not that he expected to see chibi-chan. As he turned his eyes back to Lust, though, he thought he saw a glimpse of blond hair. Well, that could be anyone.

Lust set her cup down, apparently having drunk some. "Let's try this again," she said, "Envy, _why_ don't you believe what the psychiatrist told you."

"I'm sorry?"

"When he diagnosed the condition of your obsession over Fullmetal, you denied him, avidly. Why?" Wasn't this redundant? Why was she asking? He'd made it perfectly clear hadn't he? And why was everyone so damn insistent that he had a problem?!

Running long fingers through his short black hair, Envy answered, "Easy; he was full of bullshit. You read it yourself. The bastard thought I _wanted _chibi-chan. You know me better than that."

"I'm not so sure anymore," Lust mused.

Envy was caught off guard. She honestly thought that stuck up prick could have been right?! Was everyone on the fucking planet out of their minds?! "Look," he snarled, "I admit that there's some jealously behind all this, but by no means do I think that 'owning' chibi-chan would solve anything!"

The pretty homunculus across from him took another drink of her tea, holding the cup in her slender hand as she stared at him. Her violet eyes were unnerving, the way they burrowed into him. But he'd learned to cope with it. He'd learned to cope with a lot.

"Envy," she continued insistently, "I think you've fooled yourself."

Shaking his head, Envy asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Lust stared him straight in the face, leaning forward slightly to emphasize her point. "You insist that there's nothing but malicious intent toward Fullmetal, you play it out, you act on it. But then, when you think about his pain, or having him at your mercy, you smile. And it's not just a sadistic smile, it's a satisfied smile, a smile of possessive victory, like when a man finally beats his dog into submission. And when you think that Fullmetal may be at the mercy of someone else - that someone else may be doing what you think only _you_ are entitled to do - you lose your temper on them. But you believe - you claim - that that simply stems from hatred. Envy, why is it that we can all see this need to have Edward all to yourself, but you can't?"

"You're out of your mind," Envy replied calmly, downing his tea in one shot and pouring himself some more.

"We're going to have to make you see this aren't we?" Lust muttered, staring into the tea that he'd customarily refilled.

The shape shifter shrugged. "If you think so, you think so, ne?" Drinking half of the cup in another single gulp, Envy decided to change the subject. "So, just which books were you looking for?"

Lust shrugged, sipping at her own tea. "Nothing really. Just some history books."

"You're so boring," Envy teased, a wide smile on his face.

Raising her eyebrow, Lust asked, "Oh? And just what does the 'interesting' Envy read?"

Envy thought for a moment before responding, "Whatever I can get my hands on, really."

"You have no taste," Lust retorted.

Without realizing it, the morning passed swiftly, the old woman returning several times to refill their teapot. Their conversation drifted from literature, to politics, to human stupidity, to rebellions, and Dante's will. Envy had only ever felt relatively comfortable speaking with Lust. He didn't know why. It probably had something to do with the fact that he spent so much damn time with her anyway. After all, Dante had assigned them to work together. He _had_ to be able to talk to her.

After quite some time, filled with heated and mocking discussion, Envy heard the bell chime, signaling the entry of another person. Well, he hadn't expected to be all alone for the rest of the day. If that had been the case, the homunculus would have been forced to wonder just how the woman was staying in business. What he _hadn't_ expected, was the other customer to be chibi-chan.

The alchemist wandered in, obviously having been here before, as he made his way to a table without so much as looking up. Clearly, the boy was lost in thought of some kind. Envy smiled darkly, knowing that he was more than likely the cause of this distraction.

"Don't do anything stupid," Lust hissed. Seemed she'd noticed him too; no surprise.

Glaring at her, Envy snapped, "I wasn't going to. It's the middle of the day!"

But his eyes strayed discreetly back over to chibi-chan's slumped form. What was he looking at? Whatever it was, he'd set it on the table and was staring at it quite intently. Weird. However, it didn't hold chibi's attention too long, as the blond seemed to take notice of Lust. Right, she didn't look all that different.

"He's staring," Envy smiled.

Lust rolled her eyes. "Thank you for that," she replied cynically, "I never would have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out."

Smirking derisively, Envy continued to monitor the alchemist from the corner of his eye. The woman had gone over there, delivering more tea. And chibi-chan stopped her. He was asking her about something, more than likely about the identity of the other patrons in her fine establishment. However, the woman could only shrug.

"Let me handle this," Lust whispered, taking one last drink of her tea. She then openly returned Ed's gaze, as if challenging the alchemist. Oh, this would make things interesting.

Envy noted the shock the boy suffered in the small moment of confrontation. Then, suddenly, Lust leaned across the table, motioning discreetly for Envy to do the same.

As they drew close, Lust muttered, "Alright, I've scared him. I can see it. So now, what I want you to do, is to get up, 'discuss' your actions with me, and then head over there."

"Why?" Envy inquired, slightly confused, "I thought you didn't want me to do anything stupid."

Lust smiled at him. "You won't. I just need you to go over there and tell the boy that we're related. You don't look like you, and I don't look too much like me. If a fellow 'human' convinces Fullmetal of his foolishness, he won't bother us."

Getting to his feet, Envy nodded. After all, now he could find out what chibi-chan had been staring at. He then put his hands on the table, and spoke to Lust casually. In the end, it was his body language the alchemist would be reading. "So you just want me to go over there and talk to him?"

"Pretty much," Lust answered, her hands moving as if she was dismissing her companion's suggestions.

Envy swung his arm in a motion in Ed's direction, saying, "Alright then. I'll do my best."

The female homunculus shrugged as if giving in. "Don't be long," she teased.

Preparing to act like the casual and approachable citizen he was disguised as, Envy took a deep breath and walked across the room to chibi-chan's table. "Excuse me, sir?" he inquired with forced manners, "Can I take a seat with you?"

As the alchemist nodded nervously, Envy couldn't help but smirk. The poor boy felt embarrassed. This would be fun.

"My name is Eric," the shape shifter introduced himself as he pulled out the chair across from Ed, "And you are…?"

"Edward," the alchemist in question muttered.

If he wanted to get anywhere, he'd have to put chibi-chan's mind at ease. Reaching across the table, Envy took up the blonde's hand and said, "Don't worry, I'm not mad at you. I just came to talk."

The chibi looked carefully at Envy, apparently analyzing the shape shifter's appearance. And, clearly, Envy's choice of façade was a good one. The alchemist seemed to be put at ease. It probably helped that Envy had his best 'inviting' smile on.

Hesitantly, the chibi finally spoke, apologizing, "I-I'm sorry I stared at your friend there. She just…looked like someone I know."

"It's fine, really. And she's my sister," Envy laughed, lying through his teeth.

Apparently, Ed had thought quite a bit differently. Stammering pathetically, Ed said quickly, "Oh! I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't know. I thought you two were…"

"On a date?" Envy offered, taking a guess. At Ed's blush of embarrassment, the shape shifter continued easily. "Yeah, we get that a lot. I guess we don't look much alike." Once again, he forced a polite laugh. "I really just wanted to come see if there was something wrong. You seemed…nervous when you were staring at her." Yeah, like that wasn't an understatement. The chibi had looked about ready to jump up and declare war against homunculi.

The alchemist shook his head. "I was, but I think I'm ok now."

Well that was a relief. Now he didn't have to lie more than was necessary. And now he could find out just what that thing on the table was. It looked like one of those new cassette things. Well, might as well find out. "Is that one of those new cassettes? I've only heard of them. Aren't they expensive?"

Chibi-chan quickly shook his head, denying his ownership of the thing. "Oh, it's not mine. I'm borrowing it."

"Do you mind if I look at it?" Might as well follow through with his false interest.

The alchemist shook his head again. "No, not at all."

Envy picked the small device up and eyed it over. It didn't look like anything special, really. Just another wasted piece of human technology. But then, this little piece of junk was supposed to have the capability to record people's voices. Definitely something the military would want.

"Amazing," he muttered dishonestly, "Where did you get this?" Perhaps the military had more.

Chibi-chan answered easily, clearly convinced that 'Eric' was just another person. "A psychiatrist. The guy has the money, so he uses the machine and cassettes to keep track of sessions. You know, the actual questions and verbal answers."

Shit no. Did Dante and Lust have one of _these_ too? Damn it! He'd never even thought of actual voice recording! Oh, that bastard was going to pay. Envy was _not_ going to let that shit head get away alive this time.

However, not wanting to blow his now fully established cover, Envy kept his manners about him. "You don't seem like one to be seeing a psychiatrist," he said, ripping his eyes away from the evil little machine in his hand.

The alchemist blushed slightly. "Well, you see, it's not really mine. I work for the military, and it's part of my assignment to look into this particular patient."

Of course it was Envy's. The shrink had said as much last night; that chibi-chan had all of his information. But then, why hadn't the homunculus noticed it? He'd checked the blonde's desk, hadn't he? Chibi-chan must have had it stashed elsewhere at the time. Whatever. It's not like the extra information actually affected Envy's little game any.

"Impressive. For someone so young to be in the military, that's really quite remarkable." Envy placed the device in his hand back onto the table, continuing his feigned innocence and ignorance. "So, this patient must be quite the handful if it's come to military attention."

Chibi-chan smiled faintly, apparently amused by the understatement. "He's…a bit of a nut job, yeah."

Well, Envy hadn't been expecting that! How rude! The stupid little prick, calling him a nut job! Envy was tempted to reach across the table and throttle the brat, but quickly reigned in his temper. Hopefully, his malicious anger hadn't been too obvious on his otherwise placid and agreeable face. But then, this was all Lust's fault wasn't it? Damn her…

"Oh! You can go back to your sister if you want. I really am sorry for staring." The teenager's young and frantic voice cut into Envy's thoughts, catching the homunculus off guard.

Losing some of his well acted manners, Envy muttered, "Hm? Oh, yes." Recollecting himself, Envy placed his bright smile back on and reassured, "Don't worry about it Edward. Lots of people stare at her. She's quite the looker."

Well, didn't chibi just look adorable when _that_ was brought up? Stupid humans, so shy and proper and shit.

Envy rose from the table, habitually taking the blonde's hand in his own once again. "It was nice to meet you Edward. Maybe we'll run into each other again some day." The homunculus couldn't help the underlying the threat behind his parting statement. It was just too tempting. After all, they _would_ be seeing each other soon enough, it just wouldn't be 'Eric' Ed was seeing.

"Yeah, I hope so," Ed replied, now seeming a tad more wary about the man before him. Count on the 'Fullmetal Alchemist' to pick up on ulterior threats.

But Envy had already said his farewell, so he turned his back and walked back over to where Lust sat waiting. He took his seat across from her just the way he had from Ed.

Smiling slightly at the shape shifter, she said, "That took longer than I'd expected."

"Well I didn't want to go on an angry tirade against him," Envy shrugged, "It would ruin my image."

Lust cocked her head mockingly. "What image?"

The homunculus shook his head, not bothering with a response. Actually, truth be told, he couldn't even think of a decent comeback for that one. And Lust would pick up on that, the damned intuitive woman that she was. So, Envy decided to sway the conversation yet again.

Picking up his empty cup, Envy asked, "What? We're not having any more?"

"I don't think we need to. In fact, I think we should go." Well, that was out of the blue. Or was it?

Envy's eyes strayed back in chibi-chan's direction, the young man having gone back to fiddling with the cassette in front of him. No doubt he was the reason for Lust's sudden suggestion. Why else would she have specifically said they were avoiding Central Headquarters? She was trying to keep him from Ed. Ha! She wasn't the only insightful homunculus.

Leaning back comfortably in his chair, Envy said, "You know what? I don't really feel like going anywhere just yet." If she and Dante were going to screw with him, he wasn't going to make it easy. He was _not_ going down without a fight. "And it _is_ my day off. Dante said so."

"So what?" Lust scoffed, scowling none too cautiously at him, "You didn't even want to come here in the first place."

Envy shrugged. "I know that. But now that I'm here…" The shape shifter looked around himself as if actually inspecting the quaint appearance of the shop. "…I quite enjoy it. Besides, what's a couple more hours or so?"

Placing her hands down on the table, Lust snarled, "Envy, I know you aren't stupid. And I know how much you enjoy making thing difficult for people. But do _not_ do this today. We're doing this for your own good."

"Like hell you are," Envy spat back acidly, "This 'day off' shit is just an excuse to get me out of the house." His eyes had hardened now, not having to fake civility around her. "If you know I'm not stupid, then how can you think I haven't noticed you and Dante? It's no mystery to me why she sent you along. You're working with the bitch. You're keeping me from going back!"

Lust's unnerved stare moved from Envy to the chibi-chan, who'd apparently looked up again. "Your temper is attracting attention Envy," she hissed, "And it's attention you _just_ managed to derail."

Looking momentarily in Ed's direction, Envy smiled fleetingly at the alchemist in an attempt to assure the blonde that nothing was wrong. Chibi-chan nodded curtly and looked away. "Happy now?" Envy sneered.

"Not yet," Lust retaliated, "And I won't be until you smarten up." 

Envy tilted his head in a show of defiance. "Is that so?" he asked sarcastically, "Well that's a darn shame, because I don't plan to change my mind anytime soon."

Getting to her feet, Lust whispered heatedly, "I _will_ drag you out of here by your own entrails."

"Try me," Envy challenged. "You'll just be blowing your own cover."

Just then, the old woman returned to their table, apparently oblivious to the tension that hung thick in the air between them. "Are you two dears finished with your tea?" she asked politely.

And before Envy could get so much as a breath out, Lust answered briskly, "Yes, and we'd like the bill. We're leaving."

The woman nodded her understanding, carefully picked up the china at their table, and took her leave.

Envy stared in open disgust at the female homunculus before him. "Is that how it's going to be?" he growled, "Fine. I can play your game." Stumbling overdramatically out of his chair, Envy backed away from Lust, crying out, "Just who are you?! What have you done with my sister?!"

Swearing under her breath, Lust went on the defensive, quickly checking to see if Envy had managed to get the attention he'd wanted. And he had. Chibi-chan was now staring over suspiciously, eyeing Lust. The old woman was standing at the counter, her eyes darting between the two homunculi and her phone.

"What are you _doing_?" Lust hissed angrily.

The shape shifter smiled darkly. "Evening the playing field." Then, taking a deep breath, he continued to yell frantically. "Get away from me!! I don't know what you want, but please, just leave me alone!!"

Lust looked around herself, clearly deciding that Envy wasn't worth it. The alchemist had gotten to his feet and the shopkeeper had the phone in her hand. Shooting Envy one final, withering, glance, she turned on her heel and walked out, giving no time for comment or chase.

True, what he'd done was merely in his own self-interest, and would probably lead to a severe ass kicking when he finally went back to the mansion, but hey, he'd won. And that was all that mattered. However, now that he'd started this charade, he'd have to see it through to whichever end came of it. _That_ might prove a tad more difficult than he'd anticipated.

Chibi-chan was at his side before he could even react, startling the shape shifter. "Are you alright Eric?" the concerned blond asked, "What happened?"

"I-I'm not sure," Envy stammered, thinking on the fly, "She suddenly became threatening; saying that I was to follow her if I wanted to live."

The alchemist frowned. "So, she wasn't your sister?"

Envy shook his head emphatically. "I thought she was. She met me when she said she would when she called last night, and she looked just like her…well…for the most part."

"What about her was different?" chibi-chan questioned.

Ah, so the chibi was trying to determine whether it was Lust or Envy 'Eric' had the misfortune of running into. Very funny. Might as well pin it on himself.

"It wasn't anything physical," he explained, "It was in her attitude, the way she spoke to me, and the way she acted after I got though talking to you. It was like…like _you_ bothered her."

A dark expression passed over chibi-chan's face. Good; he thought Lust had been Envy. That meant that the alchemist wouldn't suspect 'Eric' of being Envy. The shape shifter smiled to himself. This was too easy.

Turning large golden eyes to meet Envy's altered green ones, Ed asked, "What did she want to talk to you about?"

So now he was looking for a reason for 'Eric' being a target for a homunculus. Well, today was proving quite the test for Envy's lying skills. Might as well make it something obvious.

"I've been doing research on homunculi. You know, the odds of their existence, the source of said existence, and possible ways to create a perfect one."

"Perfect homunculus?"

Envy nodded. "Yes, one that could mimic a human exactly, but possess unmatched strength and intelligence; one that could last forever without needing anything more than basic nutrition. If I could find some way to develop this perfect creature, I would be able to enhance Central's military strength exponentially!"

Chibi-chan looked horrified, no doubt thinking about the horrors homunculi could wreak if they got a hold of such technology. Good enough. Well, either that, or the thought of military forces being strictly invincible creatures of 'unmatched intelligence'.

After a moment, Ed started slowly, "Eric, I'd like you to come back to Central Headquarters with me. What you're researching could prove…dangerous. Not only to yourself, but anyone you know. You'd be safest with me."

Wasn't this just perfect? Now, not only had he managed to drop Lust like a dirty sock, but he'd found himself a free way into chibi-chan's room. But he couldn't look _too_ enthusiastic about the idea. That would give him away.

"I don't know Edward…" he muttered, feeling strange saying the chibi's actual name.

Ed shook his head, clearly refusing to accept any doubts. "I insist. That person you just dealt with isn't someone who will spare your life. They won't even consider it. Trust me on this one…"

Smiling inwardly, Envy replied, "Well, if you say so." Then, just for added measure, Envy mumbled, "I didn't think my research would be taken so seriously. My colleagues laughed at me."

"Personally, I'd drop the research if I were you," Ed responded darkly, a heavy frown on his pretty young face. "Or at least don't make your idea so public. No…just drop it. That's the only way I can guarantee your safety."

This time, Envy couldn't conceal the smile. Given, he managed to suppress the malicious intent and cynicism, but he still smiled; probably not something a man who's life had just been threatened would normally do. "Yes, my safety," he belittled, "I'm glad you're so concerned."

To Be Continued...


	6. Chapter 6

_I did it! I got chapter six finished. -faints- It turns out, I just needed to listen to _Japanese_ pop music, not English. Damn Maroon 5 was throwing me off my writing groove (although, admittedly, they _did_ inspire a story to be). So here it be. Chapter Six. FINALLY!!!_

_Ok, so it's five to 11pm here. I'm up too late again. And I have school tomorrow morning, damn it all. And work right after that. But I work at a library, so it's not hard. It's actually frighteningly easy. But that's besides the point. It's completely besides the point. I'm just letting you all in on my super secret life. AKA: I stay up too late, struggle to stay awake at school, and then sleep at work, only to stay awake too late again. Hehe...I'm smart._

_One last thing before we get on with the actual chapter, there is some _seriously_ heavy yaoi content in this chapter. IF you are offended by this, pass it over. You won't miss too much...I don't think..._

---

Ok, so he hadn't been _too_ far off. The woman had been a homunculus, just not Lust. Worse, it was Envy. That son of a bitch was _still_ out and about, hunting down and hurting innocent people with that twisted power of his. Eric had been lucky. If Ed hadn't been there, Envy would no doubt have dragged the poor man out be the hair. And yet, something about Eric still didn't sit right with Ed. Something in the way the man recovered from the attack.

Regardless, Ed had taken it upon himself to protect the man. Whether or not his research was legitimate was no concern of his. Keeping the man away from the homunculi was.

Ed walked over to the counter, smiling reassuringly at the elderly woman. She'd clearly never faced anything like this before, and was still trembling slightly. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, I believe so," she managed, "What about you two?"

Eric nodded at the worried woman, answering her easily, "I'm fine, thank you. And the tea was fantastic." He then dug in his pocket and produced a large amount of money, shocking both Ed and the old woman.

"Wow, Eric," Ed muttered, "That's a lot of cash."

Glancing down at the money in his hand, Eric smiled and replied, "I suppose it is." Then, Eric laid some money on the counter, much more than one pot of tea could ever cost. However, when the woman went to get his change, Eric waved her off. "Keep it," he beamed, "I'll pay for Edward's as well. And whatever's left; consider it compensation for what you had to go through today. I really am sorry about that."

"Oh, don't worry dear," she told Eric, patting his hand. "I may be old, but I'm not that fragile."

Eric chuckled and held her hand in his, patting it gently. "I'm glad to hear that," he said, "I'll definitely be suggesting this place to my co-workers."

As flattered as he was by Eric's charitable gesture, Ed knew he couldn't keep the man around for too much longer. Envy had only just taken his leave and could be back any minute with reinforcements. And the last thing Ed wanted to deal with was a bunch of scorned homunculi.

"Come on Eric," Ed told the man who was now chatting happily with the elderly woman, "We'd best get moving. We don't know when those people will return for you."

Eric looked at Ed and nodded his agreement, gesturing politely for the alchemist to show him the way. And as much as Ed didn't want to return to headquarters, he knew it was the safest place for Eric, and lead the way down the street. However, as they walked - Eric trailing behind like a shadow - the alchemist began to feel unnerved. Something in the way Eric walked; the lack of sound he made. It was familiar in the most terrifying way, but he couldn't place where the feeling stemmed from. Finally, his nerves getting the best of him, Ed stopped and looked over his shoulder at the dark haired man behind him. 

"Eric?" he asked, "Would you mind walking up here; beside me?"

Staring in mild confusion at the request, Eric said nothing as he did as was appealed, taking his place quietly beside Edward.

The alchemist frowned slightly. "Is everything ok? You're awful quiet."

"I'm just thinking about this afternoon," Eric answered casually, "No big deal."

But Ed's frown remained. It was as if, the more time he spent with him, the less trustworthy Eric seemed. And it was a feeling Ed couldn't shake. In fact, it grew at an almost startling rate. Ed shook off the majority of his doubts and carried on down the street. Central Headquarters wasn't too far from the restaurant; only fifteen minutes by foot. Getting there wasn't the problem. It was what to do with Eric _after_ they'd arrived.

The alchemist pondered this dilemma for the entire walk, casting the occasional glance at his newfound companion. Eric seemed content; much more so than when Ed had first asked him to tag along. You'd think a man who'd just had his life threatened and no longer knew the location of his sister would be just a bit more anxious.

"Um…Edward?" Eric started, "Do we intend to stop any time soon?"

Ed stopped abruptly, refocusing his mind and eyes. Sure enough, they were standing in front of Central Headquarters, the main gate now several feet behind them. Blinking stupidly for a moment, Ed smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that," he chuckled nervously, "I was just lost in thought."

Eric returned the smile good naturedly. "No worries," he said, "I was just wondering."

Then Ed remembered what he'd done to Mustang; what he'd said. Suddenly getting in didn't seem as easy as the alchemist had first anticipated.

Turning to face Eric properly, Ed offered, "You know what? I think we should go in the side door."

"Alright," Eric shrugged.

Well that was surprising. There were no questions asked, nothing. Eric simply complied, almost offhandedly, as if the man had something else on his mind. Why was he suddenly distracted now? Was it the presence of the military building? Or had it finally sunk in that his sister could be in the hands of the psycho who'd posed as his loved one? 

Whatever it was, Ed didn't have time to fool around. The last thing he needed now was to get caught by that damned colonel. It was obvious Mustang was still looking for him, and wondering just what Ed was up to. But after this morning's confrontation, the alchemist was none too wiling to see the man again. Motioning for Eric to follow him once again, Ed skirted in through the main gate, flipping out his pocket watch quickly as identification.

"Are you avoiding someone Edward?" Eric asked flatly. The man's manners were deteriorating; why?

Ed shook his head. "Not really," he lied, "This is just a faster way to my room."

Suddenly, Eric's voice took on an almost humored tone; a darkly humored tone. "So, I'll be staying in your room?"

The alchemist paused and turned around to face Eric, who had fallen behind Ed once again after walking through the gates. "I'm not sure," the blond answered warily, "I'll see what I can do."

Smiling brightly, Eric waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, don't go to any trouble for me. You've already done quite enough."

The tone was gone. Had it just been Ed's imagination? Eric's demeanor had speedily returned to normal, putting Ed on edge. But the alchemist didn't say anything. He needed some definite proof that his fears weren't unfounded before he could start making any accusations.

"Come on then," Ed muttered, turning his back once again.

It didn't take long for Ed to maneuver his way inside, using rarely frequented hallways and nearly deserted stairways to finally reach his room. The door was still closed and locked, just as he'd left it. Good. That meant Mustang hadn't taken it upon himself to frequent the blonde's room while he was out. Or the bastard had smartened up.

Unlocking his door, Ed peered in cautiously. However, when he saw that nothing had been moved and no one was waiting for him, Ed eased up and allowed Eric to enter before him. Ed looked around the hall several times more before dodging into the room himself.

"Alright then," Ed sighed, looking around, "You'll have to forgive the mess; I was up late doing some research."

Eric nodded slowly, taking in the state of the room. "Are you using that couch?" he asked, motioning to the small piece of furniture shoved against the wall next to the desk.

"Other than as another place to store my junk, I'm not," Ed smiled.

"I'll just sleep there then." Eric certainly seemed comfortable. Odd, considering the way he'd protested the idea originally. But before Ed could ask, the man had already began clearing off the aforementioned sofa.

Scratching absently at the back of his neck, Ed announced, "Right then. While you do that, I'll go see if I can find you some proper arrangements."

"Oh, don't bother," Eric wrote off casually, "I'll be fine right here."

Again with that seeming ulterior motive. "Well I have to inform someone of your presence here," the alchemist insisted, "If I'm the only one who knows you're here, we won't be able to properly protect you."

Eric seemed almost irritated by Ed's persistence. "Do what you must," he snorted. Then, as if catching his disrespect, Eric quickly looked in Ed's direction and smiled warmly. "I just don't want to be too much trouble to you. I truly am sorry about imposing on you like this. After all, we only just met."

"It's protocol," Ed reassured, "It's not out of my way at all."

The teen nodded a brief farewell to his new guest and closed the door on his way out. Strangely, out of Eric's presence, Ed felt safer. He couldn't understand why. But the man's odd swings of appreciation reminded Ed chillingly of a certain homunculus. No, that couldn't be right! Eric had said himself that the bastard had been impersonating his sister. Unless…

It had all been an act! Lust _was_ the woman, and this 'Eric' was merely Envy posing as a victimized human to get in!! Shit! Ed _knew_ he recognized the feeling Eric's stare induced. It was the sick twisting in his gut that warned him it was Envy before him, not who it appeared to be. Damn it all!! Why hadn't he guessed this sooner?!

Now standing paralyzed in the hallway, Ed wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't tell anyone; that would cause too much commotion. And he couldn't very well lock himself in a room with a homunculus who'd decided raping him was the best means of new torture. Why did life _do_ this to him?! Ed leaned heavily against the wall behind him, staring intently at the door to his room. How could he have been so stupid?! He'd let his worst enemy into his room; walked him there himself! Shit, shit, shit! He hadn't even had enough time to come up with a proper counter attack yet!

Licking his dry lips, the alchemist pulled the cassette out of his pocket, staring at it expectantly. No, this wasn't going to get him anywhere. It was just a ridiculous waste of time. Or was it? Envy had said he'd had to find 'new methods' because Ed had rejected the old ones. When Envy attacked, Ed fought back. When Envy attempted to pose as someone, Ed saw through it and attacked the shape shifter. If the homunculus used words, Ed shot them back. Every time, he'd beaten Envy at his own game.

Ed's face flushed horribly. No; he _couldn't _do _that_. He wouldn't play this game, he couldn't. That was just…weird! But then, what other option did he have? Fighting would get him nowhere. Envy _knew_ how much power he held over Ed when the homunculus kissed him; knew how helpless Ed became. So Ed had to turn the tables. It was time for _Envy_ to feel helpless, to be the victim. And it was up to Ed to overcome his dignity - and the better part of his sanity - to do so. The only consolation the alchemist could find, was that - once he won - Envy would have to take another angle.

Suddenly, Ed had never been more thankful for his brother's absence.

But just how was he supposed to approach this new solution? It wasn't exactly something he was experienced in, much less willing to try. Nevertheless, he didn't exactly have another option, nor the time to come up with one. Envy was behind his door, messing with _his _room, planning who knew what. Ed had to act, no matter how degrading. And the sooner he did it, the sooner he could end it.

"Major Elric," Armstrong's deep voice called from the end of the hallway, jarring Ed back to reality. "We've been looking all over for you!"

Ed looked over at the large, approaching man. Now was _not _a good time for a distraction. "Hey," he greeted, forcing himself to remain calm, "Sorry about this morning. I've been under a bit of stress lately."

Armstrong, whose long legs had easily propelled him to the shorter man's side, smiled broadly. "Don't worry about it," the large man beamed, "I'm just concerned that you haven't eaten yet today."

Stomach growling at the mention of food, Ed blushed slightly. "Yeah, I guess I haven't." Then it hit him. If he went to eat something, 'Eric' would have to stay behind in the room, and Ed would have time to think this out a bit more.

Returning Armstrong's welcoming smile, Ed told him, "I'm just going to clear something up first, then I'll eat."

"I'll just wait here then," Armstrong nodded.

Ed ducked quickly into his room, making sure to stay close to the door that was now closed behind him. "Um…Eric?" he started slowly, trying not to seem too suspicious.

The dark haired individual looked up from what he'd been doing and smiled at Ed. "Yes? What can I do for you?"

Shivering at the freakishly polite tone, Ed forced a return smile. "I'm just going to step out for a while. Could you wait here?"

A slight frown flashed across 'Eric's' face, but it was barely visible. The alchemist had only noticed it because he'd caught on to the shape shifter's little act. No doubt there had been dozens of slips like that one, but Ed had simply failed to notice. Not anymore.

"Yeah, I can stay here," the other man answered casually, "As long as this is all ok with you."

Ed nodded quickly and exited his room swiftly. And, as he'd said, Armstrong stood waiting.

"You ready then?" the major asked.

Smiling in both relief and anticipation, Ed replied, "Absolutely! Let's go get something to eat."

However, the food failed to do what Ed had hoped it would. It satiated his large teenage appetite, that much was true, but it didn't put his mind at ease at all. In fact, as the meal wore on, and Armstrong continued with his casual questioning of what the Fullmetal Alchemist had done all day, Ed grew more and more anxious. No new answers presented themselves as he'd hoped, and the meal really just ate up the time. The moment the young man feared most was approaching faster than he'd hoped, and there was now _nothing_ else that he could do. His only choice was to beat Envy at his own game.

When Armstrong offered to pay for the meal, Ed was barely paying attention. Clearly, this sudden inattentiveness worried the large man, as he promptly queried, "Is there something on your mind Edward?"

"Hm?" Ed looked up at the large man and noted the unmasked concern. Waving the doubt away quickly, Ed smiled, "No, I'm fine, really. Something just came up today, that's all."

Frowning, Armstrong conceded, "If you say so…"

The two made their way back to headquarters easily enough, neither of them speaking over the short trip. It was as if Ed's unrest had rubbed off on the big man, forcing the awkward silence. As they reached the gate and went to part ways, Armstrong stared at Ed, an expression on his face that said, "Should you need anything, just ask."

Ed nodded his gratitude, but shook his head. This was certainly something he had to face alone. Taking a deep breath, the alchemist marched into the large, now foreboding, building. Behind him, the sun was setting, bleeding the sky a brilliant red. It would have been a lovely night had it not been for the sin - both literally _and _metaphorically - that waited in his room. As he drew nearer to the damned room, his heart began to race, his palms began to sweat. What if he was wrong? What if he was just being paranoid? What if it really _wasn't_ Envy? No! He was just making excuses now.

Reaching out nervously, Ed took the doorknob in his trembling gloved hand. This was it, the moment of truth. He would leave his dignity at this door, shedding all his common sense to follow through with a plan that disagreed with everything he believed. Once he entered the room, Envy would no longer be something to attack, something to fear and lash out against. No; if Ed was going to go through with it, _all_ of it, he'd have to learn to see Envy differently. And _that_ was what made it hard. Well, harder than it would have been with anyone else…

Slowly, reluctantly, Ed opened the door to his room. So far, so good. The alchemist entered tentatively, looking around. No sign of any movement, and the blinds were drawn. The room was dark and quiet; oddly quiet. Ed couldn't even pick out the sound of breathing, especially not the heavy, measured, breathing of someone sleeping.

"Eric?" he asked cautiously, "Are you here?"

Suddenly, the door slammed behind him, having been closed the moment Ed was fully inside. The alchemist tensed. It was Envy alright. And now he had to kiss his worth goodbye. Locking his senses on the faint noise a homunculus made, Ed heard Envy coming before the shape shifter could do anything.

Lashing out, Ed caught Envy's arm, twisting the homunculus around and pinning the lithe body against the nearest wall. He heard Envy's sharp gasp of surprise and low snarl of resent. But Ed knew it wouldn't last long. Envy was notoriously fast at recovering from unexpected attacks. So before the homunculus could do anything, Ed had to think of something. But what?!

Ed thought on the fly, quickly snatching up Envy's other arm, lifting it above the shape shifter's head, and spinning the man around. He then shoved Envy backward, forcing him completely against the wall, at the same time alchemizing Envy's arms to the wall. At least now the bastard wasn't going anywhere. However, as the alchemist had predicted, Envy recovered quickly, easily swinging his right leg around Ed's waist, pulling their bodies together.

Caught off guard, Ed fell with all his weight against the thinner homunculus. As their bodies met, Envy swiftly captured Ed's lips, forcing his tongue into the blonde's unsuspecting mouth. Ed groaned and pushed away, gasping sharply for breath as they broke apart.

"Did you miss me, chibi-chan?" Envy teased. Odd how someone chained to a wall could still manage that much attitude. Given, he still had Ed held quite effectively with that leg of his.

And so the game began. Running his hands up Envy's taut arms, Ed threw away the remainder of his reserve and conscience and dragged his lips against the homunculus'. "No, I didn't," he whispered hoarsely against the shape shifter's mouth, "But I'm going to teach you to miss me."

Ed could feel Envy's shocked gasp more than he could hear it. The homunculus hadn't been expecting this, just as Ed had planned. Shuddering slightly, Ed licked Envy's oddly soft lips, stroking the other's exposed midriff with his cold automail. The well toned leg that had been preventing Ed's escape slipped away, Envy sighing heavily as Ed took one final, shy, kiss. Strangely, as the sigh brushed Ed's face, the alchemist felt a tightening in his lower gut, and the whole idea suddenly didn't seem as disturbing. In fact, every act was coming with more ease than the first, every kiss more natural than the last, every touch almost pleasurable. And Ed was too concerned with winning this little battle to pay any mind to this peculiar new development.

Shifting his hips against Envy's, Ed reveled in the sound the shape shifter made; that strangled gasp of pleasure and confusion. The alchemist kissed Envy's lips indulgently, sucking teasingly at the homunculus' lower lip. He felt the others' body tense beneath him as Ed pressed closer, could feel the heat through Envy's thin clothing.

"Ne, chibi-chan," Envy panted next to Ed's ear, "My arms are going numb."

Ed paused, his hands still on Envy's bare stomach, his mouth next to the shape shifter's ear. Well, he hadn't been expecting that one. Swallowing slowly, Ed took half a step backwards and eyed the homunculus' situation carefully. Damn, Envy looked vulnerable like that; and extraordinarily attractive.

Smiling in a way he never had before, Ed purred, "Well, now, that's too bad. I quite like you that way."

Was Envy blushing? These unexpected turns were amusing, and Ed was more than a little surprised that he thought so. Maybe something was wrong with him. Whatever it was, he didn't have time to ponder it just yet. Leave that until _after _Envy had been properly taught.

But the shape shifter wasn't about to give up. "I'm serious chibi-chan," he retorted, "I'm losing all the feeling in my arms."

Ed walked back up to the wall, once again pressing his body solidly against Envy's. Kissing his captive possessively, Ed whispered, "I said no. I want all your feeling _elsewhere_."

And with that, the alchemist kissed his way down Envy's face and throat, all the while dragging his hands lower on Envy's lithe form. The homunculus shuddered, throwing his head back against the wall. That would bruise. However, Ed paid it little mind, his focus on Envy's heaving chest. He'd get that sorry excuse for a shirt off eventually. Lowering his body further, Ed licked dotingly at Envy's toned stomach. Meanwhile, his hands were massaging the tightened muscles of the shape shifter's bare thighs, drawing enticing sounds from Envy's open mouth.

"Ah, chibi-chan," the darker haired one gasped, "God yes. Just like that. Ah!"

Ed could barely take it. Every word Envy breathed, every gasp, moan, and incoherent sound, was driving him up the wall. His usually comfortable pants were suddenly feeling much more restricting, and he didn't want to think about why. Unexpectedly, Ed was _enjoying_ himself. And, as much as it disgusted him, he couldn't bring himself to stop. He didn't want to. Everything just felt so damn good.

Envy's body arched upwards against the wall, catching Ed slightly off guard. But the alchemist recovered easily enough, pulling himself back up the homunculus' body to capture Envy's open mouth once again. The two kissed adoringly, both fighting for dominance with their tongues. As they broke for air, Ed's body demanded more of everything. And he knew the only way to satisfy this sudden craving, would be to free Envy's arms.

Stepping back again, Ed noticed just how badly Envy was subdued. The homunculus' face was flushed, his violet eyes closed, his breathing coming heavily. And with his arms pinned above him like that, Ed couldn't help but feel like the one who had originally done the torturing was now the victim; just as he'd planned.

The alchemist quietly freed the homunculus' arms, the tired limbs falling helplessly to the dark haired man's sides. But Ed wasted no time, knowing that if he waited - if he put it off - his nagging 'common sense' would stop him from finishing what he'd inevitably started, and leave his body longing horribly for something he'd probably never allow himself to do again. So he briskly walked back to Envy, throwing his arms indelicately about the shape shifter's shoulders, once again capturing the other's mouth. This time, though, Envy could wrap his arms about the alchemist's thin waist, holding the young man close, stroking and caressing Ed's back.

Yes, this was the pleasure Ed's body sought, the feeling it had suddenly demanded. All sense of 'right' and 'wrong' had been abandoned. The only thing that mattered was how good the moment felt, and the fact that Ed was in control.

Once again, they were forced to break off for air, Envy stealing one last lick before they did. Smiling, the homunculus muttered, "Thanks for letting me down chibi-chan. I rather enjoy the use of my arms." And with that, Envy made an indiscreet grab at Ed's ass.

The alchemist gasped sharply, his body tensing. Shit! Did Envy have _no_ discretion?!

Biting the shape shifter's lower lip none too gently, Ed hissed, "Watch the hands, you stuck up bastard."

"Hmm…you're cute when you're mad," Envy purred.

No, this wasn't good. Ed could hear the confidence returning to Envy's voice, could feel the shift in power through Envy's arms. The homunculus planned on retaking the match. Ed couldn't let that happen; not after everything he'd done to earn this victory. He had to act fast if he wanted to keep the upper hand, and Envy begging helplessly for his touch.

Wrapping his arms quickly around the homunculus' waist, Ed spun Envy around and forced the other man down onto the small couch that sat against the wall. Ed fell heavily on top, capturing Envy's mouth before so much as a gasp could escape. Then, as much as he enjoyed - frighteningly enough - the other's embrace, Ed once again restrained Envy's arms above the homunculus' head, transmuting a cushion on the couch into a sturdy, braided, rope.

"Damn it, chibi-chan," Envy panted, "What is with you and bondage?"

Ed wouldn't answer the question; couldn't answer it. He was too afraid of what he'd say. So, instead, Ed focused on regaining control of the situation. Transmuting his automail into his favored blade, the alchemist dragged the weapon carefully down the length of Envy's shirt. The homunculus gasped sharply, the blade no doubt cutting the man's pale skin along with the dark fabric. Ed paid no mind to the other's sudden pain, being too absorbed in the sight of the newly exposed skin. The crimson blood made an almost chillingly beautiful contrast against Envy's skin. As the homunculus shivered, Ed lost all reserve, leaning down and licking up the blood that slowly seeped from the thin cut his blade had left. His warm tongue evicted a wonderful reaction from the shape shifter beneath him, a strangled mixture of pleasure and shock. But the cut wouldn't be there long, not with the healing skills a homunculus possessed. And so Ed had to play with the sensitive area while he could.

Bringing his left hand up, Ed smeared the blood across Envy's pale chest, stroking the skin adoringly. Envy arched up into the touch, breathing now quite heavily audible. The feeling in Ed's pants was now almost unbearable, and although he'd never even _considered_ doing something along the lines of what he'd now begun, his body screamed for relief.

Pressing his hips down hard against Envy's, the shape shifter whimpered softly; a sound Ed had never heard before, and a sound Ed wanted to hear again. The alchemist dug his fingers roughly into Envy's mass of emerald-black hair, stealing another addictive kiss from the homunculus, all the while moving his body seductively along the length of the other's. And once again, he managed to draw that soft whimper out, that sound of submission. Yes, Ed was successfully in control once more. So now it was time to finally see to that aggravating distraction in his pants.

Ed hooked his fingers underneath the elastic of Envy's dark skort, slowly pulling the article down as he lowered his kisses. He felt every muscle in the homunculus tense, the lithe body pinned beneath him shifting uncomfortably.

"Ne, chibi-chan," Envy gasped, "This isn't exactly fair."

The shape shifter was panicking, clearly not happy with the idea of someone else being in control. And so Ed continued, undaunted, in the abnormally pleasing act of undressing Envy. Writhing slightly, Envy gasped harshly when Ed's automail fingers brushed against him. Ed was shocked as well at just how much Envy was enjoying himself. But, at this point, Ed was focused mainly on gratifying his own newfound desire. And that meant he'd have to lose his own pants.

However, as Ed was sitting up, straddled across Envy's waist, and beginning the work on his belt, a loud knock pounded on his room door. The alchemist tensed, his hands paused against the heavy metal buckle of his belt.

"Fullmetal?" Roy's voice called through the door, "I need to talk to you." Was that concern in Roy's voice? Why? Hadn't Ed told the man off earlier today?

Envy swallowed hard, looking up at Ed. "You going to answer that?" he sneered, breathing still heavier than usual.

Ed glared at Envy, hissing in reply, "And what? Let my boss find a bound and naked homunculus on my couch?"

"You made me this way," Envy teased.

Damn it! Envy looked so damn good it was hard for Ed to stay mad at him. And he couldn't afford the distraction; the chance to regain what he'd lost in order to go through with any of this.

"Fullmetal?!" Roy called again, sounding definitely nervous.

Turning slightly, Ed called back, "What do you want? I'm trying to sleep!"

There was an audible sigh of relief from the other side of the wooden door. "Armstrong spoke with me. He was worried about you and insisted I check up on you."

"Well I'm fine!' Ed shouted, "Now let me sleep!"

Roy knocked heavily against the door. "No, Fullmetal. I need to see you and make _sure_ there's no problems."

The colonel was referring to a homunculus, Ed was sure of it. And of all his god damn luck, Roy chose the _one_ night Ed was trying to 'conquer' one to finally show concern. Glancing nervously at the slender form beneath him, Ed blushed horribly.

"You heard him, chibi-chan," Envy smiled, "He wants to see you."

Tightening his legs on Envy's hips, Ed hissed, "Shut up. I do _not_ need this crap from you."

Envy took a quick breath in, clearly trying to restrain his pleasure. It was clear the homunculus wasn't fond of being the one on the bottom.

Ed smiled triumphantly, stealing one more assertive kiss, before carefully moving himself off of the couch. He then shuffled carefully over to his door, pulling it open just enough so as to fill the doorway with his body. Sure enough, Roy was standing there, looking faintly worried.

"See?" Ed offered shortly, "I'm fine."

The colonel frowned. "Open the door, Fullmetal."

"It is open!" the alchemist in question retorted.

Frown solidly in place, Roy elaborated, "All the way."

Ed shook his head. "Look, my room's a mess, ok? Can we just do this some other time?" Damn it all to Hell! Why, now, did Roy feel the need to get nosy?!

"Edward, please," Roy asked again, his superiority having suddenly vanished.

Ed was caught off guard. It wasn't often Roy called him by his name, if at all. So then, the colonel must really have been worried about him. But he _couldn't_ open the door; not this time.

Feeling more than a tad guilty, Ed muttered, "Roy…I just _can't_, ok? But I'm fine, really. You have to trust me on this."

Slowly, hesitantly, Roy gave in. "If you say so," he nodded, "But take care of yourself, alright?" And with that final, odd, comment, the Flame Alchemist took his leave.

Ed closed the door and sighed heavily. That had been too close. But he was glad Roy trusted him, although the idea frightened him somewhat. Since when did Roy care about anything but his own sorry ass? He'd have to look into that matter later.

"Ne, chibi-chan," Envy's lilting voice mocked, "Are you going to leave me for your colonel now?"

The alchemist scowled. Right; he still had Envy to deal with. Well, now the homunculus would have to deal with Ed's frustrations as well as the blonde's sudden need for dominance over the shape shifter. Crawling back over the arm of the couch and dragging his body along Envy's, Ed kissed the other man heatedly, nipping at the homunculus' already swollen bottom lip.

Sitting up to work on his own pants once again, Ed shot back, "You only _wish_ I would. Then maybe you'd have another chance to gain the upper hand."

Envy smiled in dark amusement. "I've never seen you like this chibi-chan," he purred, "It's quite a turn on."

"Don't think your stupid, vulgar comments are going to throw me off," Ed whispered, finally freeing himself of his lower garments. He then lay prone against Envy's astonishingly warm body and stole the shape shifter's mouth. "You're _my_ toy."

A slight frown creased Envy's pretty face, the homunculus clearly not amused at the idea of being 'owned' himself. But Ed wasn't going to give Envy time to think on it, nor speak on it. His hormones weren't going to wait much longer. And so, without so much as a second thought, Ed forced himself into Envy, the two of them gasping almost at the same time. Envy bucked his hips up instinctively, joining their bodies further. Ed latched his hands onto Envy's waist, pressing his forehead down against Envy's heaving chest. Sodomy had never crossed the alchemist's mind before now, and even here, his body had simply taken the initiative. But as his pleasure skyrocketed, Ed moved harder against Envy, being none too gentle with the homunculus beneath him. The shape shifter breathed vigorously, relentlessly moving his hips along with Ed's. And, finally, Ed's body found its relief.

Shuddering, the alchemist collapsed against his impromptu lover, face flushed and chest heaving. He could hear Envy's heart racing, could feel the harsh rise and fall of the homunculus' chest, could feel the result of their lovemaking between them. And as he lay there, reveling in the afterglow, reality slowly crept up on him. Suddenly, Ed realized what he'd done. He realized how low he'd sunk. But worst of all, he realized that he'd _taken pleasure_ from the whole ordeal.

What the hell had he been thinking?! What the fuck had he done?!

To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 7

_AH! I finally scraped through chapter seven! I could NOT think of where to go with this! This had most certainly been the most painful chapter to write yet. I'd like to thank _Potions for Foxes_ for the editting suggestions. I'm sorry I didn't actually change anything in chapter six, but hopefully I made up for it with the thought I attempted to put into this chapter. _

_On a secondary note, you will probably all hate me for this chapter. I'm warning you all in advance; it doesn't come across as relevant. But it will be! I swear! This will all be important later on!! But for now...hate me. And trust me, you will..._

_Ok! On with the (possibly) worst chapter I've ever written! -dies of shame-_

_EDIT: Ok, so I did change ONE line in chapter six, but it's not worth going back to re-read the whole chapter for. _

---

Shit no! This was _not _supposed to have happened! Ed was supposed to be the one on the bottom, not him! Ed was supposed to be the one making the noises that were, inexplicably, coming from his mouth. Where had he gone wrong?! Where had he miscalculated?

Whatever he'd done wrong, he'd managed to screw up worse than he'd thought possible. But after what happened between the two of them, Envy found it oddly difficult to stay mad at himself. Ed had been surprisingly talented, and surprisingly large. The experience had hurt more than expected, but it wasn't something Envy wouldn't be able to get over. At least physically. His 'new' plan had been shot already, having been thwarted by the damn chibi's hormones. Needless to say, this encounter - no matter how pleasurable - left his dignity in shreds. Damn it all to Hell.

As they lay there awkwardly on the small couch, Envy's scattered brain remembered the fact that he was a shape shifter. And being none too proud of what had just occurred, Envy clothed himself, the bright light of his transformation momentarily illuminating the room. And apparently, that reminder of just _who_ the chibi had fucked ruined the alchemist's afterglow.

Scrambling off of both the homunculus and the furniture, chibi-chan stumbled around the room for a moment, gathering up the clothes he'd so casually discarded and redressed himself. The blonde's face was flushed, his large yellow eyes avoiding as much contact with Envy as possible. Where had all that confidence gone now? Perhaps this _hadn't_ been a total loss.

Envy realized he could very well regain the upper hand, even after the deed had been done, and the homunculus chimed, "Ne, chibi-chan, you going to untie me anytime soon? Or do you still need me?"

"Shut up!" Ed snapped, still refusing to look at his 'prisoner'.

Flipping his hair as best he could while still restrained, Envy continued his teasing. "Alright, so you don't like back talk. So then why don't you just shut me up like you did before? Or would you rather I put my mouth somewhere else?"

He could see the chibi's body tense. "You sick bastard!" the teen all but screamed, "What is your problem?!"

"My problem?" Envy asked, quirking an eyebrow, "Last I checked, I'm not the one who tied someone to the couch and…"

"JUST SHUT UP!" Wow…chibi-chan was really upset about the whole mess. Not that it was entirely Envy's fault. Mostly, yes; but not entirely. In fact, it was really mostly the chibi's fault.

The homunculus scoffed indignantly and decided to take a different approach. After all, he couldn't very well spend the rest of the night in the alchemist's room. "Fine, I'll stop. But on one condition."

Chibi-chan stared at the homunculus angrily, clearly waiting for the 'condition' to come.

"You let me leave," Envy clarified.

Walking over to the side of the couch, Ed looked down at Envy with unmasked hatred and disgust. Huh, you'd think Envy had done the raping. And once again, the alchemist didn't bother dignifying anything with a verbal response. He simply freed Envy's arms from their restraints, walked over to his door, and opened it, standing impatiently next to it.

Envy sat up and rubbed his wrists carefully. He hadn't realized just how much that damned rope had hurt. It had been more than a little difficult to focus on anything when chibi-chan was riding him the way he did. But now he could focus on whatever he damn well wanted. And so, the homunculus decided to whine to himself about the pain in his wrists.

"Would you leave already?" Ed snorted angrily.

The homunculus glared at the alchemist. Yes, something had definitely been lost after the boy had relieved himself. But that was none of his concern, not yet.

Walking casually over to the door, Envy stopped just in front of his pretty chibi. "Thanks for the sex," he mocked, a teasing smile on his androgynous face. "Maybe we can do it again sometime." And then, before chibi-chan could protest, Envy grabbed the young man's face and kissed him possessively.

Ed flailed slightly against the sudden 'attack' but failed to dislodge the shape shifter. Clearly put out by the impulsive harassment, the chibi pressed firmly against Envy's chest, refusing to give up. Finally, Envy broke off, simply for his own satisfaction.

"And for the record," Envy purred, lips still hovering above the alchemist's, "You're _my_ toy, chibi-chan."

Frowning in spite of the brilliant blush that stained his cheeks, Ed shot back, "Go to Hell."

The homunculus laughed and stroked chibi-chan's face adoringly as he took his leave. Yes, despite the little drawback, Envy was still in control for the most part. And the chibi was still just as disarmed when it came to these new encounters. Which meant Envy was still winning. However, his slightly improved mood was quickly put down; burned out, if one didn't mind puns.

Envy ran nearly face first into Roy Mustang. Right, the stupid colonel was wandering the halls. And Envy hadn't changed shape. Shit.

An awkward and tense moment passed between them, both shocked to see the other. Roy was yet to actually confront a homunculus, having only heard of them from various reports. Envy had heard of the colonel, had known that Pride had his eye on this one; which was not a good thing. Homunculi only tended to take interest in powerful alchemist, a nice little catch-22 to their game of manipulation.

The colonel's eyes darted quickly to note the ourobouros tattoo on Envy's left leg. Now he was screwed. And so Envy did what would no doubt be expected of him in this particular situation; he ran.

Behind him, Envy heard the colonel curse angrily, heard the pounding of the man's heavy military boots in pursuit. At least the famed Flame Alchemist had reserve enough _not_ to use his skills indoors. And that gave Envy a nice upper hand. Skidding around a corner, the homunculus kicked a door in, dodging into the darkened room. Luckily, there didn't seem to be anyone in said room.

Mustang didn't take long to reach the same hallway, nor did it take him long to spot and approach the open door. It took equally little time for Envy's foot to meet the man's face, successfully knocking the alchemist backwards and into the wall. The homunculus didn't wait. As soon as Roy's head made a painful 'thump' against the solid wall behind him, Envy was on the move again, sprinting down the halls of Central Headquarters' dorm area. Normally, he'd have killed the bastard, but they could still use him; he could still prove valuable. That didn't mean Envy had been gentle. The shape shifter would have been surprised if the colonel was even still conscious.

Thereby, his exit was now made significantly easier, even with the fact that he was no longer entirely aware of where he was. All Envy needed to find was a window. And there was no shortage of those. Prying open the first window he came across, the homunculus quickly alighted to the ground and made his way off of the Headquarters' grounds.

It was quite dark out, even with the yellowish street lights that highlighted circles along the walkway. But Envy wasn't bothered. He was too busy being preoccupied with just what he'd tell Lust and Dante when he got back this late. No doubt questions would be asked. And Envy had a nagging feeling the truth wouldn't go over very well. There was always the option of avoiding return for several days and passing it off as a personal 'assignment', but Lust had seen his little act; she'd been the cause of it. And so that lie would be sniffed out as soon as it was told. So then what _was_ he supposed to say? Ah, hell, what did he care anyway? What was the worst they could do to him? He was too beneficial to Dante's little game to be disposed of. If anything, he'd have his wrist slapped and be told not to do it again.

As Envy shuffled slowly down the empty evening streets of Central, his near bare foot caught a pebble, sending it skittering across the pavement. He couldn't have cared less, the mild pain registering only briefly. His mind was wandering horribly, drifting in and out of memories of mere moments before. The most satisfying event of the evening, surprisingly enough, had been kicking Mustang in the head. Served the damn colonel right, interrupting his time with chibi-chan. Second to that could only have been the fact that the chibi stayed when given the chance to run off with said colonel. It was true, Ed was his, and his alone. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Envy," Lust's silken voice demanded, calling his attention, "Where have you been?"

The aforementioned homunculus turned at the mention of his name. Lust didn't look happy. Apparently, she'd been out looking for him since that afternoon. And, clearly, she wasn't too pleased with finding him wandering aimlessly amongst the streets of Central.

Smiling cynically at the irritated woman before him, Envy quipped, "Out and about. You?"

Lust glared with unmatched antagonism. "Don't give me that," she snarled, "You were up to something. What?"

"How cruel of you," Envy pouted derisively, "I was just taking my 'day off'."

A sharp finger slashed at his cheek, drawing a thin line of warm blood across his cheek. Envy shivered in spite of himself, the feel of the warm crimson liquid on his skin bringing back remarkably pleasurable memories. Damn chibi-chan and his seductive sadism.

"I'll say it again," Lust hissed menacingly, "_What were you doing_?"

Envy dragged his fingers lethargically across the cut, staring absently at the carmine substance that now stained his skin. Interesting, how contrasting his blood was to his skin. But he didn't have time to admire that just yet. Lust was demanding answers, and being none too kind when denied them.

Licking the blood from his fingertips, Envy muttered, "I was being 'protected'."

Lust frowned. "Protected? From what?"

"You," Envy smiled, "Poor chibi-chan fell for the act; ate it up like candy. And so I convinced him you were me and I was just a poor, mistreated, human."

"And he took you in?"

The shape shifter shrugged. "I made up some bullshit research," Envy answered casually, "And he thought that I'd be safest in military custody."

Lust's anger had faded, her pretty face now glazed over with internal conflict. Concern? He wasn't sure. But it wasn't anything good.

Slowly, she began, "So, you were with Fullmetal then?"

Envy nodded, a smile gradually widening on his face.

"All this time?" Yes, Lust was definitely worried about something. Evidently, Envy spending time with chibi-chan was _not_ part of Lust and Dante's little scheme.

Walking up to stand beside her, Envy replied, "Up until now, yes. Why are you so worried?" His voice was filled with mockery, his eyes bright with silent mirth. He had the upper hand on Lust now as well.

The female homunculus met his eyes with her own, undaunted by his ridicule. She was of much stronger will than chibi-chan. Intriguing. "Don't flatter yourself," she snarled, "I was just trying to put two and two together. It has nothing to do with you."

"It's four," he whispered next to her ear. And then, without waiting for her response, Envy wandered back off down the street, content on returning to the mansion on his own time. He wouldn't be much longer anyway; not with Mustang hunting him the way he no doubt was. Or he'd be hunting chibi-chan. After all, the pretty little blond had been acting mighty suspicious when the colonel had questioned him.

Yes, chibi-chan; what to do about him? The night's plan had all but gone to Hell for the most part, as Ed would now be living with self-inflicted shame. That wasn't what was supposed to happen. Envy was supposed to be the source of chibi-chan's distress, of his shame, of his pain. But then, what had gone wrong? Had Ed found out it was all a game? Or had the chibi really wanted to go through with all that? No, that couldn't have been the case, not after the sendoff Envy received. So then, chibi-chan had caught on. That would make things hard. However, it was clear that all was not lost. The alchemist had still been flustered and upset about what had happened. So if only Envy could…

A soft mewing at his feet caught Envy's attention, and he noticed a small, black kitten. Its large green eyes gazed up at the homunculus, its bushy tail swishing back and forth. Around its neck was a red color with a faded and dirtied golden bell attached. Again, it mewed gently, this time walking up to brush against his bare leg.

Something about the kitten attracted Envy, and he scooped the small creature up. Even as he held it out at arms length, both hands fixed around its small, fluffy body, it gave no sign of fear. It simply gave off that subtle kitten noise again, its eyes fixed intelligently on his face. And so Envy decided to take it home with him. He wasn't sure why, but he felt the need to keep the small animal with him. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that it didn't fear him. Yes, that was it. Envy had never come across anything that didn't instinctively fear him, and so this kitten was the bravest living creature he'd encountered. Because of this, he felt it deserved his respect, and hence, deserved to survive.

Cradling it in one arm, Envy smiled at the small animal. It was an odd feeling, having something so small feel no apprehension around him. It was almost reminiscent of chibi-chan's first reaction to him. But even the alchemist had felt fear, Envy had seen it in the blonde's brilliant yellow eyes. Regardless, Envy decided to call the cat 'Chibi-chan', if only for fun. After all, once the thing was big enough, he wouldn't keep it any longer. He just needed to make sure it endured. And the alchemist had such a cute pet name, it was hard to resist naming something now dependant on Envy after him.

The homunculus, now burdened with an unexpected guest, decided it was time to head back to the underground city. It was late, he was tired, and he didn't want to drag a kitten around with him on his aimless wandering. And so Envy hailed a cab, once again telling the driver to take him to the deserted end of town. And, yet again, the driver gave him an odd look.

"Here," the homunculus sighed, tossing a large clip of money at the man, "I'll even pay you in advance."

That proved to be all the incentive the greedy human needed, as the shape shifter soon found himself outside the church. Tossing some more money at him for good measure, Envy left the taxi driver without another word and wandered over to the derelict building. And all over again, the homunculus walked down the passageway, his feet moving habitually toward their destination.

He arrived at the mansion easily enough, prying open the large doors with his free arm. But inside, just behind the doors, waited a very unhappy looking Dante.

"Where have you been?!" she demanded, "And what the hell is that?!"

Envy glanced down at the kitten which was now sleeping in a ball in the crook of his arm. Hm, he should have seen this coming. Turning his eyes back to Dante, he answered, "I've been in the military. And this is just something I picked up on the way home."

Scowling angrily, Dante shot, "It had better be dead, Envy. And what the hell were you doing in the military?!"

The homunculus shrugged. "I was just looking. I thought they might have something worth acquiring."

Dante shook her head in frustration. "That's it," she said, like he was some sort of unmanageable teenager, "You will _not_ leave this mansion until I tell you otherwise."

Shocked, Envy stammered for words. She was quarantining him?! What the hell?! Who the fuck did she think she was?! However, the look of pure malice on her young face told him it was best not to argue. In fact, her expression dictated it would be safer for him to bite off and choke on his own tongue before questioning her order.

Envy snorted incoherently, and brushed heatedly past her. The evening had fluctuated between good and bad all night, and had just plummeted to beyond horrible. And it didn't look like it would be improving anytime soon. What a load of shit. Like hell he was going to stay in one place. Of course, for the remaining hours of darkness he would obey. He had nowhere else to be. But come tomorrow? Oh, he'd be out and about again, she could count on that.

As he reached his room, shutting the door behind him, Envy set Chibi-chan down on his bed. The kitten could sleep with him. There was no way he was going to the trouble of making the damn thing its own bed. Besides, it wasn't that big, and Envy's bed was quite large. He probably wouldn't even notice the thing was there.

However, as Envy laid down to rest - he was frustratingly sleepy - Chibi-chan yawned and padded over to snuggle against his exposed stomach. The cat's soft black fur tickled, but not enough to actually irritate the homunculus into doing anything. In reality, the warmth the kitten gave off was rather nice, almost comforting. Perhaps that's why he'd taken the creature in; for some sort of subconscious desire to have comfort. Yeah, right. And the real chibi-chan was in love with him. What a load of shit. And so, having decided that he could not think straight when tired, Envy closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, the soft breathing of a kitten accompanying him.

Morning came too quickly, both his internal clock and the kitten waking him sooner than he wanted. It had been the best night he'd had - in terms of sleep - and he wasn't really all that willing to wake up just yet. Nevertheless, Chibi-chan insisted on nudging the homunculus with his soft, fury head, meowing incessantly. Apparently, the animal was hungry.

"Chibi-chan," the homunculus grumbled, "Go bother someone else." He then swatted irritably at the small cat in an attempt to dissuade it.

Chibi-chan was much more nimble than Envy had anticipated, and the kitten easily dodged his sleepy hand, climbing onto the shape shifter's prone body. It then proceeded to purr into his ear, rubbing affectionately against Envy's head. The damn thing was almost as determined as the alchemist it was named for.

And so the homunculus reached up, grabbed the kitten with both hands, lifted it off the back of his head, and rolled over. Sitting up, he put the thing down in his lap and sighed. Now he was positive the shrink had been wrong. If owning the _real_ chibi-chan was anything like this one, he wanted none of it.

"So what do you want?" he asked the cat irritably. "If it's my attention, you've got it now."

Chibi-chan mewed happily in response, purring contentedly as it stared up at him.

Frowning slightly, Envy tried again, "Are you hungry or something? What the heck do you eat anyway?"

Of course, the kitten gave no response, it simply beamed blissfully at its new 'master'. The homunculus' frown deepened. Talking to the thing was getting him nowhere. At least having Ed as a pet wouldn't prove to have a communication problem. Well, in theory it wouldn't.

The shape shifter sighed heavily, picking the kitten up and setting it down beside him so he could swing himself off the bed. As he got to his feet, the small animal alighted from the bed as well, swiftly taking it upon itself to rub against his legs. Fine; let the thing do what it wanted. It wasn't doing any harm to anyone. But he _still_ had no idea what to give the damn thing for food.

Envy stared at Chibi-chan as it moved between his legs, purring all the while. Judging by its size, it was probably still happily living off of a liquid diet. Which meant he'd have to get down to the kitchen, somehow obtain and warm up a decent amount of milk, and get it back up to his room without being questioned. Yeah, that'd be easy.

Picking the animal up yet again, Envy once again put it down on the bed. "Stay here," he told it impatiently, "You can _not_ follow me in the house."

Oddly enough, it seemed to understand him, as Chibi-chan quietly sat down on the covers, tilting its fluffy head to stare at him. Damn animals and their intelligence.

And so Envy took his leave, wandering down the halls and stairs to reach the kitchen. Luckily, no one was there just yet; only the few maids Dante had in her employ, maids that would be properly disposed of when the time came. But, while they were around, the homunculus figured he'd might as well make use of them.

"You," he ordered offhandedly, "I need a bowl of milk warmed up."

The woman he'd so rudely addressed looked at him in confusion for a moment. Other than Gluttony, no homunculi had ever actually been in the kitchen. The maids had only ever seen them in passing. Furthermore, they probably thought he was human. Silly girls. However, she gave no question to his order, quickly bustling about the room to prepare what he'd asked for.

Looking to the second of the three maids, Envy said, "And you, what do you know about cats?"

"I'm sorry, sir?"

Envy frowned. Did _no_ one speak English anymore? "Cats; what do you know about feeding them?"

The maid seemed to ponder the question for an instant before replying, "If it's still young, sir, I'd stick with milk. If it's a tad older, I'd suggest small pieces of meat, or cat food if you can afford it."

"Thanks," he muttered in regards to both of them, as the first had returned with his warmed milk. He then turned to take his leave. So far, so good. No run-ins with anyone who would question him, no distracting occurrences, no nothing. It was odd, but not something he was about to question.

As he reached his room, he heard the distinct sound of Sloth's long dress against the solid flooring. Well, it could have been worse. It could have been Lust or Dante. At least now he wouldn't be too patronized.

"Good morning Envy," she greeted gently, "Is that your breakfast?"

Envy turned around and smiled furtively at her. "It is for now," he answered, "I'm not all that hungry yet, and I'm still sleepy."

Tilting her head, Sloth asked, "You? I didn't think you slept that much."

"I don't, normally." The shape shifter shrugged her comment off, although it bothered him as well. Why, now, could he sleep? Why, now, had his odd dreams stopped pestering him? Damn mysteries of life.

"So," she smiled, "What was different about last night?"

The homunculus in question frowned. "What do you mean?"

Sloth's placid smile had become almost disrespectful. "Well, something different must have happened to you last night to have suddenly changed your sleeping patterns."

Mouth twitching in mild irritation, Envy tried to remain nonchalant about the matter. "I can't think of anything that changed. Now if you'll excuse me…"

However, as Envy turned away and reached for his doorknob, he heard Sloth chuckle. Now, just what was so funny?

"What are you laughing about," he asked guardedly, back still turned to her.

Still laughing softly, Sloth replied, "No, it's nothing. You go have your breakfast."

The shape shifter didn't like being screwed with, but now was not the time to get in a heated debate with Sloth. There was a kitten in his room waiting to be fed, and its milk was getting colder by the minute. And so, Envy decided to part ways with not but an indignant statement.

"I will do just that, thank you." Afterward, he went into his room, closing the door behind him.

Surprisingly, Chibi-chan was still sitting on his bed, right where Envy had left him. How cute. It was obedient. That just meant one less thing to worry about.

Envy put the bowl down on the floor against the far wall. "Here," he said, gesturing vaguely to the milk, "It's all you're getting for now."

The kitten hopped down, padding silently over to the bowl. Chibi-chan sniffed cautiously at the substance before finally partaking in it, lapping the warm liquid up greedily. At least one of them was happy. Envy still felt tired and more than a little irritable, especially after speaking with Sloth. And so, the homunculus threw himself gracelessly onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow. Perhaps now that the animal had food, it would leave him alone.

However, a soft but demanding knock at his heavy door once again required his attention. God damn it! Could no one leave him alone?!

Envy swore none too quietly as he dragged himself back over to open the stupid door. For all the privacy it provided, he might as well not even have it. At least that would save him some time. And of all the people to open the door to, he found Lust standing on the other side.

"What do you want?" he asked impatiently.

The woman looked around him and smiled. "So Dante _wasn't_ lying. You took in a stray animal." Lust's smile was mocking, condescending, annoying. "How unlike you."

Glancing over his shoulder at the cat Envy scoffed, "It followed me, ok?"

"And you didn't kill it?" she inquired, one slender eyebrow raised.

"Isn't that obvious?" But she raised a good point. Why _hadn't_ he killed it? Right, because he'd admired its tenacity, its lack of fear towards him. Nevertheless, that was not exactly an 'Envy-like' reason for him to take something in. There had to be something else, but he couldn't place his finger on what. More than likely, it had been the fact that he was tired the night before, and that had clouded his better judgment.

Lust shook her head. "That's not what I meant," she elaborated, "I want to know _why_ you didn't kill it."

"I was tired. It would have been too much of a hassle." That, as far as he could tell, was as close to the truth as he was probably going to get.

Smiling darkly at Envy, Lust offered, "Then let me do it. We can't have that thing running about the house anyway."

However, when she went to move past him, Envy was overwhelmed with the need to defend Chibi-chan and stepped in her way. "Sorry Lust," he replied, returning her smile, "But I can't let you kill my Chibi-chan."

"What did you just say?" Her tone wasn't - surprisingly enough - angry. It was shocked, if not perplexed.

Envy frowned slightly. "I said I won't let you kill it," the shape shifter answered.

"No, no," Lust retorted, shaking her head, "You called it by a name."

"Chibi-chan?"

The female homunculus' face blanked for a moment, simply staring at Envy in mild disbelief. But it was only for an instant, no more than a second. Lust recomposed herself quickly, exchanging her astonishment for indifference. Shrugging, she countered, "Ah, I thought so. Fine; if you love it so much, keep it. But don't let it out and about." And with that, she took her leave.

Envy stared after her, more confused than she had no doubt been. What the hell had just happened? It wasn't like Lust to simply change her mind and give into Envy's way like that. Why had she done that? Was it because he'd named the cat 'Chibi-chan'? What did that matter?

Determined to find answers, Envy followed after her, closing his door so as to not let the kitten escape. Not that the food wouldn't keep it busy, but just in case he took longer than expected, he knew it wasn't going anywhere. And so he could proceed without a second thought. Luckily, Envy had mastered stealth, and would not likely be caught, at least not without his intention.

He followed her easily, her heels clicking repetitively. Lust made her way through the various halls, never slowing her pace. She clearly wanted to get wherever she was going quickly. Finally, she turned off, not bothering to look around herself before stepping into the large room that was Dante's. Someone was confident. Envy walked up to the doorway after her, standing just beside the opening.

"It's worse than we thought," Lust sighed heavily.

The shape shifter could hear Dante pacing her floor impatiently. She was unhappy. That was the only reason she ever did that. "Dare I ask why you think that?" she forced, voice slowed with strained patience.

Lust's voice was still dangerously calm. "He's taken in a cat, like you said, but he's named it as well."

"I'm sorry?" _There_ was some of that typical anger he'd come to expect from their 'master'.

Envy could just imagine Lust's casual posture; comfortable, but still looking good. And so, her answer came just as indifferently as he'd expected. "He's called the thing 'chibi-chan'."

Something smashed against the floor, causing Envy to tense momentarily. Apparently, him owning and naming a kitten was more upsetting than he'd anticipated. "You're lying!" Dante shrieked.

"Unfortunately, no," Lust replied, "This is getting out of hand."

Again, something was broken, this time hurled against the wall. "That's the worst understatement I've heard in all my years!" Dante continued to yell, "He's completely fixated on _my _alchemist!"

Lust scoffed uninterestedly. "If you're not careful, you wind up just like him," the female homunculus sneered softly.

"Silence!" Ah yes, Dante was definitely furious now. Not a good mood for the woman who controlled their lives.

Once again, Lust gave another soft sound of unconcern. "I'm just stating the obvious," she replied calmly, "You're starting to sound a lot like him, speaking of Fullmetal like that."

Snarling, Dante hissed in retaliation, "You know what I mean, _Lust_. He's our best chance at the Philosopher's Stone. We can _not_ have Envy doing this. He'll ruin everything!"

What a load of shit! Could she even hear what she was saying?! Envy, ruin this? Like hell he would. Where was she getting this crap assumption anyway? Just what did she have to base her damned opinions on?

"So, what do you make of the kitten?" Dante asked, having calmed her nerves somewhat.

Lust gave another exasperated sigh. "I think it's his subconscious mind acting out on his desire to have the alchemist all to himself. That would explain the name and the bizarre desire to keep it with him. He's 'owning' Fullmetal in a metaphorical way."

His fists clenched angrily. Was _that _what they thought?! They were out of their fucking minds! And he'd prove it! He had absolutely _no _desire whatsoever to own Ed. The name was in mockery; in image alone. Didn't they get that?! 'Chibi-chan' was an insult, damn it! An insult!! What didn't they get about that?! But then…how would he prove his lack of need to own chibi-chan?

Crossing his arms, Envy racked his brain. There had to be something…And then it hit him. If he could conquer Ed like he had the first night he'd initiated his new 'strategy', he'd have hurt the alchemist in a way that could never be healed. He'd have defeated the boy in the most permanent of ways. Yes, that was the way to go about this. _That_ was how he'd prove causing chibi-chan pain was the only reason behind his fixation.

As the shape shifter settled on his decision, his ears picked up the sound of the two women's conversation coming to a close. Shit! He couldn't afford to be caught. Not to mention the fact that he'd been too preoccupied to even hear the rest of what they'd been planning. What the hell was wrong with him?! But now was _not _the time to be hating himself, now was the time to be running. So that's just what he did. The homunculus made a dash for the foyer, his best chance at playing innocent. And, fortunately, he was faster than he'd first expected.

Lust arrived in the foyer shortly after him, having turned corners just as he'd left them. Moreover, the expression on her face gave no indication of her knowing he had ever been there.

"You left your kitten unattended?" she asked coldly.

Envy shrugged offhandedly. "It'll be fine. I left it with food."

Quirking an eyebrow, Lust inquired, "And what about a means of going to the bathroom?"

"Oh, shit," the shape shifter mumbled, "I forgot about that."

Lust laughed mockingly, shaking her head at his stupidity. "Yes, well, you'd best get to that then," she derided. "Unless, of course, you _want_ your room to smell like the cat's litter box."

The shape shifter frowned at his companion. "Why don't you shut up?" he spat indignantly. He then turned on his heel, ending the conversation over his shoulder. "I'm going out anyway. I'll just pick something up."

"I don't think so," Dante's voice snarled from the stairs. "You aren't allowed to leave this house."

Envy turned his violet eyes towards her, stare filled with malice hatred. Stupid bitch. Why did she have to show up now? He had other things on his mind.

"Right," he scoffed, "I almost forgot."

Walking down the stairs and approaching him, Dante stopped mere inches away. "Well then," she hissed, "I'm glad I got here in time to remind you. Now go up to that cat of yours and don't move until I tell you to, understand?"

Growling low in his throat, Envy sneered before walking away. His compliance was forced, but he gave in none the less. She couldn't monitor him all day. He'd get out yet, and he'd have to bring Chibi-chan with him. Whatever, the time would come.

To Be Continued...

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_Ok, so only the large portion of the chapter known also as the middle sucked. The rest was decent. ((I say this now, as I just finished re-reading it. Hence why this is at the bottom)) But, still, I apologize to all of you who have come to expect better of me. I swear there is relevance eventually!! Oh...and yes, I came back from the whole 'death of shame' thing...It's...complicated._


	8. Chapter 8

_Told you I'd get to it eventually. I can't believe how long this chapter took. I thought so hard throughout this whole chapter my brain started smoking. O.o Maybe I overworked? HA! Yeah right. Regardless, the end is drawing near. You can sense it...bwa ha..._

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The aged plaster of the Central Headquarters dorm room crumbled under the impact of Edward Elric's automail fist. He was furious, not only with himself, but with everything. He hated himself for doing what he'd done, for sinking to Envy's despicable level. But he hated the homunculus more, for having the started the matter, and then retaining his damned vanity and arrogance. The fucking prick. Ed had thrown all his dignity out the window in an attempt to beat the bastard away, and what had he accomplished? Nothing. Envy had been just as smug and full of himself as when the whole shit had begun. Damn it all!! All Ed had done was belittle himself, and it was all the shape shifter's fault.

Suddenly, the blonde's body felt exhausted; whether from the sex or the resulting stress he wasn't sure. All he knew was he had to sit down. And so he leaned heavily against his doorframe, sliding down to sit on the cold hardwood floor. As he put his hands down to steady himself, bits of fallen plaster crumbled beneath his automail. He hardly even noticed its presence. Ed was tired, both physically and emotionally, and longed for the blissful emptiness that was sleep. Yes, sleep was what he needed.

And so, the alchemist reached up towards his bed, grasped the corner of his pillow, and brought it down to where he sat on the floor. Tucking it behind his head, Ed allowed his eyes to shut and his mind to wander. Anything to let the enveloping darkness of unconsciousness come swiftly. Thus, as the Fullmetal Alchemist slumped ungracefully against a wooden doorframe, he fell into the sleep he so desired, his final thought being to wake from it all in the morning and find it had all been some horrible dream.

Ed was given no such luck. He wasn't even given the opportunity to wait until the dawn's arrival. No more than two hours from when the alchemist had managed to finally doze off, he was rudely shaken, forced to awake from his euphoric slumber. And he awoke to a very despondent Mustang.

"What the hell, Roy?" Ed grumbled tiredly, "Didn't I say I was trying to sleep?"

The colonel looked disoriented, as if he himself had only just awakened. But not from sleep, more like forced unconsciousness. Weird. The man was still in uniform. "I didn't think you meant on the floor, Fullmetal," Mustang pointed out, his usually cocky voice seeming slightly off kilter, "And I'm pretty sure you closed your door last time I was here."

Ed blushed slightly, looking away from Roy. "It…it was stuffy. I wanted to let the air circulate." Damn it! He sounded like an idiot!

"Edward," Roy implored, "Don't lie to me. You had a homunculus in here."

Caught off guard by his colonel's sudden show of concern and knowledge, the blonde once again met Roy's dark eyes. "H-how…"

Roy's face remained solemn. "I ran into it," he answered flatly, "And it was not a good encounter." Suddenly, the colonel's expression softened. "Please, Edward, what was going on in here? What were you doing?"

"I…" No, he couldn't tell him. What the hell was he supposed to say? 'Oh, I'm sorry Roy. I was fucking him.' No! But if Mustang knew…then there was no point denying the fact that Envy had been there. He'd only upset the other alchemist further by trying to reject the statement, and, strangely, that idea scared him.

Starting again, Ed lied, "I was talking with him. He hadn't meant me any harm for once. He was here to bargain with me."

"What did he want from you?"

Ed shook his head. "I didn't give him anything, if that's what you're worried about." He smiled faintly at Roy. "And I'm sorry if he hurt you, but you bothered him."

The colonel frowned, unimpressed. "Don't give me that crap, Fullmetal," he snorted, "I was doing my job by making sure homunculi didn't get in."

"Well you might want to do it a bit better than," Ed sneered, feeling much more at ease with Roy calling him by his military assigned name. "They've been getting in here for a _long_ time."

Roy slapped Ed good naturedly upside the head. "You do need sleep, Fullmetal," he smiled, "You're starting to talk to me like I'm your equal again."

Brushing the other man's hand away instinctively, Ed shot back, "Then you should leave my room and let me sleep."

"Then you should get up on that bed of yours, or I won't hear the end of it."

The blonde blushed slightly. Roy was right. If any of the higher ups found out that Mustang had knowingly allowed one of his 'subordinates' to sleep on the floor, the colonel would get an earful and a half. Something to do with taking proper care of one's soldiers. Yeah, whatever.

Nevertheless, Ed got to his feet, bringing his pillow with him. At the same time, Roy stood to his full height as well. Bastard. But Ed didn't say anything. He simply shuffled over to his bed, threw his pillow down, and sat down on it himself.

"Happy now?" Ed asked cynically.

Roy nodded mockingly. "Quite. Now, would you like me to leave the door open, or is the dark too much for you?"

"Shut up and get out of my room!" Ed snapped, throwing the pillow he'd put so much effort into keeping at the stuck up colonel's head.

Mustang caught the projectile with ease, tossing it gently back to the blonde. Smiling, Roy said, "I'm glad you're alright Ed. Goodnight." And with that frighteningly friendly parting statement, the Flame Alchemist took his leave, closing Edward's door behind him.

Choosing not to pay too much thought to Roy's unexpected show of concern, Ed fell back on his bed. Now that he was up, he had to figure out where he'd gone wrong. There had to be something. Envy had been literally at his mercy to begin with, but when all was said and done, the homunculus was no less dubious about his new tactic. If anything, he'd been even more confident. But why? What had he done wrong? When had the tables turned yet again?

Ed pulled the pillow over his face and screamed incoherently into it. Damn it all!! He was too tired to think of anything. All he could hope, as he rolled over to sleep once again, was that answers would come in the morning. And if they didn't, he could always hide. There was no way the homunculus could find him everywhere…was there? Disregarding his doubt, the alchemist closed his eyes and, once more, fell dead to the world around him.

Surprisingly, Ed was allowed to rest to his heart's content. Mustang sent no one, nor did he come himself, to rouse the sleeping blonde. Instead, he found himself finally opening his lethargic golden eyes to early afternoon sunlight. His room was warm, and he felt significantly better than he had only the night before. His body was fully rested and ready to go. Ed actually felt like the day was going to be a fairly decent one, for once. But that was dashed as soon as he stepped through his door.

"Good Morning Edward," Armstrong beamed as soon as Ed strode into the hall, "How are you this morning?"

Ed smiled at the large man; his mood retaining the warmth it had gained from his room. "I'm fine, thanks. Why do you ask?"

Almost out of the blue, Armstrong seemed uncomfortable. Glancing away from the younger man, he answered carefully, "Well, you just seemed…a bit distracted last night. I was just making sure everything was alright."

Patting the major on his bulky arm on his way by, Ed reassured, "Yeah, it's cool. I just had some stuff on my mind last night. No big deal." The alchemist then stretched and added, "Now let's go get something to eat. I'm starving!"

Armstrong laughed softly and fell in behind the smaller man. Clearly, Ed's good mood and confident encouragements had calmed the man's nerves. That was certainly a good thing. The last thing Ed needed was more questions.

Breakfast went by quickly enough, Edward and Armstrong being two of very few people eating in the mess hall that late in the day. And it certainly helped to continue Ed's good mood. Sure, he'd hit a bit of a snag, finding the major outside his door - meaning Roy was having him watched - but he could manage. It was better than finding Envy, right?

As the meal was concluded, Ed ran into yet another surprise; Colonel Mustang himself. And he seemed frighteningly pleasant this morning.

Smiling brightly at the blond, Roy greeted, "How are you this morning Fullmetal? Better than last night I hope."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Ed inquired discourteously, returning a cynical smile.

Roy waved an offhanded gesture. "Oh nothing," he shrugged, "You were just very dodgy and touchy last night. I assume your little emotional bout is done with?" The colonel had donned a superior mocking smirk with the voicing of his question.

The alchemist frowned angrily, but kept his temper in check. "You're not exactly one to talk, _colonel_," Ed countered, "You seemed awful friendly last night. Not very professional if I say so myself."

"_I_ was doing my job," Roy defended, smile remaining strongly in place.

Sneering as Mustang had walked right into a verbal trap, Ed returned smoothly, "By getting your ass handed to you?"

Roy's face flushed in embarrassment, smile fading entirely. Yes, Ed had caught the arrogant man off guard. Apparently, Mustang hadn't thought the 'homunculus' card was going to be played. However, the man quickly regained his composure, averting his eyes momentarily and coughing into his gloved fist.

"That, Fullmetal, was your fault," Roy answered, face strict with tempered discipline.

Now it was Ed's turn to tense. That much had been true. And _he_ hadn't thought Roy would bring up the fact that Ed had been the reason for the homunculus' presence.

Armstrong, having been lost as soon as Roy had brought up the past evening's events, cleared his throat loudly. "I do believe that Major Elric has things he wishes to attend to today, colonel."

"Hm? Oh yes." Roy nodded absently, dismissing the fit of verbal sparring. He then glanced at Ed, his eyes that had only moments before been filled with mockery now shadowed with concern. "Will you be needing any assistance, Fullmetal?" he asked genuinely.

Taken aback by Roy's honest offer, Ed stuttered for a moment before realigning his thought process. "Uh…well…I-I should be fine, thanks. I'm just heading to the library."

Roy smiled softly. "You seem to spend a lot of time there," he said, "And that fact is probably known by more than just the military."

Had that last part been a warning or a threat? Or had it been advice? Was Mustang looking out for him? Why? Just what had passed between Envy and Roy that the colonel would suddenly fear for Ed's well being? Suddenly, Ed's optimistic outlook was being trampled left, right, and center. And it was all thanks to two people; the stuck up bastard who called himself Envy, and the emotionally unpredictable colonel. Why couldn't the people in Ed's life be normal?

Shaking his head and smiling at Roy, Ed reassured, "I can take care of myself, thank you. Besides, what is anyone going to do in a library?"

"Do you remember what happened at the library when Scar got to it?"

Ed flinched. That was true enough. The whole building had been destroyed. But there was no way Scar alone had been the cause of it. Knowing the homunculi, and their tendency to have their hands in everything, they probably played quite the part in that little piece of destruction. Regardless, Ed felt safe at the library. Everyone knew him there. There was no way Envy could come in and do anything without everyone there taking notice.

And so, Edward let that fact out. "Roy, don't worry. Everyone there knows me. If anything happens, they'll notice and call you."

"If you say so, Fullmetal," Roy finally conceded. "But call if they don't, ok?"

Smiling, Ed snorted, "Yeah, sure. I'm _positive_ he'll let me call you if he manages to kidnap me."

Roy cocked an eyebrow and smacked the younger man gently on the head. "Watch the sass Fullmetal," the colonel smiled.

The alchemist shrugged and walked past his 'superior' without another word. There wasn't much else to say anyway. Armstrong trailed behind Ed, clearly not sure of just what was going on.

Slowly, cautiously, the large man posed the question that was obviously bothering him, "Um…Edward? Would you like to go on your own, or should I accompany you?"

"I'll go on my own, thank you," Ed smiled, politely dismissing the other alchemist.

As the two parted ways at the Central Headquarters' entryway, Ed heaved a sigh of relief. Shedding all those extra pounds helped his mood jump several notches. And without a military goon breathing down his neck - as much as the concern touched him - he had more room to think. There _had_ to be another angle to take on his Envy 'problem'. Beating him couldn't possibly be the only option. But what?

Ed reached the library easily enough, not letting his mind wander too much in case he happened to see the homunculus that plagued him on his way. But there'd been no sign of Envy's presence, no twisting feeling of danger. And so, with confidence, the alchemist walked into the library, greeting the women behind the counter happily.

"Would you like your study room again Edward?" the same young woman from the day before asked.

Returning her infectious smile, Ed answered, "Sure. That'd be great."

As the two walked over to the room in question, her smile became slightly more teasing. "How's your admirer?"

The alchemist wasn't sure of who she was referring to at first, but then it clicked. He'd asked her for advice just the other day, and she'd been worried. He had to say something. And so, he tried, "Oh, him? He's fine. We…we're still working out some kinks though."

'Kinks' had not been a good word to pick, however. As soon as it had left his mouth, Ed's mind darted back to the knot that had held Envy in place, and naturally, to just how tempting the homunculus had looked all tied up. And, without any conscious thought, Ed's face flushed in embarrassment.

The woman laughed good naturedly. "It looks like it went better than you're letting on," she beamed.

"N-no!" Ed stumbled verbally, shaking his head, "It's not like _that_." At least not that he was ready to admit to. Even _he_ wasn't sure quite what it was.

Turning to leave him to the room, she replied, "That's good to hear. I'd have been heartbroken if you were taken."

Ed blushed at the indiscreet come on. Was she Envy? No, he didn't feel the natural fear that came with the shape shifter's company. So then, was she really interested in him, or just teasing? Shaking his head, Ed scolded himself. He had other things to do today. And first up, was to read some decent books. He had to clear his head of distractions with some good old fashioned logic.

The alchemist gathered up a varied pile of literature; an intellectual's mixture of history, biographies, sciences, and classic novels. He _did _enjoy the occasional dash of fiction. So, with his large pile of books stacked upon the small room's table, Ed began to read. Hours ticked by as, one after another, the books were set aside, each one being completed in turn. Finally, sometime in the late afternoon, his stomach interrupted his literary fascination. Ed frowned and set the book he'd been reading down. Best he get something to eat before attempting to continue.

Closing the door of the small study behind him, Ed wandered over to the front desk. "Excuse me?" he asked softly, getting the young lady's attention, "I'm just stepping out for a second. Could you keep that room the way I left it?"

"Certainly," she smiled in return. "No one else will go in there until you say so."

Ed nodded his appreciation and quietly took his leave. Outside, the autumn wind chilled him quickly. Instinctively, Ed pulled his large coat tighter around himself while he scanned the area for his restaurant of choice for the day. While the alchemist was looking, however, he heard the soft mewing of a kitten. And, because it was what Al would have wanted him to do, Ed averted his search for the cat in distress.

He found said animal in the arms of a young woman with long, chocolate brown, hair. She had it nestled in her beige trench coat, her left hand up to hold it in place. The cat itself had brilliant green eyes and what looked like soft black fur. She, on the other hand, had almost amber tinted eyes and creamy skin. She was pretty. And she'd noticed he was staring.

"Can I help you?" she asked, a hint of fear in her soft bell-like voice.

Ed blushed. "Oh! I-I'm sorry!" He bowed his head repeatedly, feeling stupid and more than a little embarrassed. "I-I heard your cat and thought that maybe it was a stray."

She laughed, the sound echoing charmingly. "Oh, he was," she beamed, clearly assured that Ed had only been distracted by the cat, "And he does tend to attract people's attention. After all, that's why I have him now, right?"

Meeting her gaze once again, Ed asked, "So…did you just find him now?"

"No." She shook her head, eyes moving momentarily to the kitten tucked against her chest. "I found him last night. But _some_ people misread my intentions of taking it in, and I refuse to be around said people any longer."

The alchemist was caught off guard by the sudden vicious tone in her voice. Just who was she staying with that could rouse such a malice reaction from a girl so sweet?

Apparently, it dawned on her just how she'd sounded. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "It's…complicated." She then made to walk past Ed, as if something had been said that she felt had ended their conversation.

"W-wait!" Ed said quickly, stepping in front of her, "Where are you going with him then?"

The woman blinked at the alchemist. "I'm sorry, what?"

Ed gestured to the cat, blushing slightly when he noticed he'd also gestured at her chest. "The cat. You aren't going to leave him in the streets again are you?"

"Chibi-chan? No, never."

Face paling, Ed muttered, "Ch…chibi-chan?"

The woman's face blanked and she took one tentative step away from the alchemist. No, not again. Why was Envy suddenly such an active member in Ed's life?! And why hadn't he sensed the danger this time, the disgust?

"Envy," Ed whispered without thinking, "_You_ took in a stray cat?"

Shaking 'her' head, the shape shifter stammered, "I-I don't know what you're talking about. My name's…"

"Don't even try it!" The alchemist was not going to let Envy spin his web of lies this time. The homunculus had made a ridiculous slip up; there was no way Ed was going to let him escape. "Now hand over the cat."

A brilliant line of white light traveled the length of Envy's body, returning him to the more familiar form. "You can't take him from me," the darker haired man scoffed, "You have no right to."

Ed frowned deeply, demanding, "Why the hell do you have a cat anyway?"

"What business is it of yours?!"

The alchemist was surprised. Since when did Envy get so defensive about a life that wasn't his own? This was going beyond the realm of logic and Ed didn't like it. And why had the bastard named the animal 'chibi-chan'?

Snorting indignantly, Envy continued to hold the cat close to his body. "I'm leaving now, chibi-chan. I have other places to be right now."

"Like where?" Ed challenged.

The homunculus glared Ed down, his face the perfect image of impatience. "That, my lovely chibi, is none of your business either." The scorn then became vicious mockery. "But don't worry," Envy sneered, "I'll be back for you later."

Ed blushed but held his ground. "There are three things you need to know, Envy," Ed hissed in spite of his embarrassment, "One; I don't trust you with an animal, and hence, I'm going to take it from you. Two; I have a name, and if you value your next to worthless life I suggest you use it. Three; I will _not_ let you come back again as I have no desire to see your sorry face ever again. Are we clear?"

Envy continued to stare at Edward, his expression having faded into slight contemplation. Nodding slowly, Envy answered gradually, "Is that so? Well then, if you're going to get snippy about it, have the cat." And without so much as another argument, the kitten was placed resentfully into Ed's unexpecting arms. "As for your other requests, I won't change how I refer to you, _chibi-chan_, as my life is quite a bit more than worthless, and I think I can find that desire you say you don't have."

"What are you…" But Ed was cut short. All at once, Envy had thrown his arms about the smaller man's waist and captured Ed's mouth, easily gaining access to the alchemist's unsuspecting mouth, licking hungrily at the warm cavern. Ed groaned, but had no use of his arms as, not only did he have a kitten held in them, but they were now pinned between the two men's bodies.

The homunculus broke the kiss off, but by no means did he stop. He forced Ed backwards, pressing the young man's body to the hard brick wall of the library. Ed's face was flushed, terrified at Envy's sudden advance and mortified that people were staring. It was the middle of the goddamned day!! Why did these details not bother the homunculus?!

"Envy, stop," Ed choked out as the shape shifter licked at his throat, long fingers working at the blonde's belt, "Oh god, not here."

Bringing his violet eyes up to meet Edward's golden ones, Envy purred, "So then, does that mean I was right?"

Ed couldn't hold the other's gaze. "I-I don't know what you mean," he muttered, staring at the yellowing grass beneath their feet.

"I mean," Envy whispered against Ed's lips, "That I _can_ find and arouse the desire you claim not to have for me."

Every fiber of his being screamed for him to say 'no', to kick and struggle and make a scene. But his common sense knew that would get him nowhere. If anything, it would only inspire the bastard into doing something much worse. And so Ed conceded weakly, hating himself as the words left his mouth. "Y-yes, you're…right."

Stealing one final kiss, Envy breathed, "That's what I thought." And then, before Ed had time to react, Envy had stepped away and disappeared down the street.

The alchemist slumped against the wall he'd been left standing by. There had to be some way to deter Envy from doing that anymore; some way to truly thwart this new plan. But then, he had to figure out where he'd gone wrong just the night before. Somewhere, he'd lost control and handed it back over to the enemy. Damn it all to Hell. At least the onlookers had left following Envy's departure.

Sighing, Ed looked down at the cat nestled in his arms. It stared expectantly at him, only once glancing away in the direction Envy had gone. So this was the creature Ed had argued with Envy for. Why? Just what had driven him to insist that Envy not keep the animal? Clearly, judging by the state it was in, the homunculus had been taking decent care of it. So then…why? Was it really distrust for Envy's treatment of animals, or was it something else, like jealously? Ed blushed. Jealously?! Why had that even crossed his mind? Jealous of the cat? For what?

"I'm going to hate myself for this," Ed muttered, both to himself and the kitten.

The cat mewed in response, snuggling into the crook of Ed's left arm. Evidently, it didn't like the feel of automail as a pillow. Not surprising.

Getting carefully to his feet, Ed said, "Ok, let's head back to Headquarters. That way I can grab some food and leave you in my room."

'Chibi-chan' gave another sound of content, small body now curled into an adorable ball of fluff. Yeah, this would go over well. They weren't supposed to have pets in the dorm. Whatever; Ed would just have to sneak the thing in like he'd inadvertently snuck Envy in the day before. Oddly enough, a kitten was much easier to smuggle in than a person.

Ed made his return to Central HQ easily enough, and returned to his room without so much as a questioning stare. Perhaps the day wasn't a lost cause after all. Once in his room, Ed pulled the cat out of his coat and put it down on the floor. It stretched out, glanced around, and promptly hopped up onto Edward's bed. Well, at least it relocated favorably.

"Now, you stay here while I go get a lunch tray," the alchemist told the cat. Why, he wasn't sure. It's not like the thing could understand him…could it? Shaking his head, Ed scoffed at himself. Why did little oddities like this distract him? He had a much bigger, glaring, problem to deal with, and still no answers. And God only knew when Envy was planning to return, the cocky bastard.

Leaving his room and closing the door behind him, Ed quickly made his way to the mess hall. It had been several hours since his first visit and the chefs weren't surprised to see the young man return. In fact, they were almost expecting it.

"What can we get for you Major Elric?"

Ed glanced over the listed meals. There was one with milk. Shuddering at the thought of the substance, Ed forcibly reminded himself that it was for the cat, not for him. And so he'd have to order that one. This would be hard to explain.

The alchemist smiled shakily as he answered, "I'll try meal number five today."

Frowning slightly, the older cook replied, "There's milk with that one, you know that right?"

"Yup," Ed nodded.

The chef shrugged and pressed no further. Ed was glad. It would be hard to try and explain his sudden 'desire' for something he'd so openly rejected so many times before. As his mind wandered over any possible lies, he noticed that one of the younger chefs, a young man, was sitting in a corner reading.

"Hey," Ed called out, "What are you reading there?"

Caught off guard, the chef blushed slightly and quickly closed the book. "I-It's nothing, sir!" the young man stuttered hurriedly, "I-I'm sorry."

Ed shook his head, dismissing the apology. "No, don't apologize. I was just wondering what you were reading." The alchemist then smiled to seal his reassurance. "I'm a book fan too."

"Oh, really?" The young man seemed put at ease by Ed's comments, as he got up and stood across from the blond. "Well, I don't think this one would really be up your alley, major, but you might enjoy it. It's a good read, regardless of the fact that it's a romance."

The alchemist could feel his face light up. "A…romance?" Ed choked out.

Apparently, the boy didn't notice Ed's sudden discomfort. "Yeah, it's really very good. You see, it's about this girl who's so wrapped up with her work - she's a police officer -, that romance has never even crossed her mind. But then, one of the men she's trying to arrest falls for her. Of course, she rejects him adamantly; mainly because she feels they're enemies, and secondly because she's afraid of his advances."

"Here's your lunch major," the older man's voice interrupted, putting the tray down between them.

Ed started, having been enraptured by the young man's retelling. The book was hitting so close to home it was frightening. And yet, Ed felt compelled to know what happened. Perhaps it would give him some insight as to what to do about his own situation.

However, the young man looked more than a little put off but the arrival of Edward's lunch as he moved to leave. No doubt, to return to the eerily familiar book.

"Don't go yet," Ed said, "I want to hear what else happens."

The boy quickly returned, his face a mask of joy at the alchemist's interest. "Alright then," he beamed, "So this guy first sees her fear and reluctance as something to hold against her. You see, he feels he can use it to manipulate her and weasel his way out of jail. But she's smart, and she picks up on his plan. So she realizes, the only way to turn this guy's logic around on him is to desert her fear; after all, it's what he's using as leverage. So, to do this, she just gives into the passion that she's been hiding all her life in her work."

Ed was slightly annoyed when the boy stopped. There had to be an ending, a result to her tactic. "Well?" Ed pressed, "What happened after that?"

"Oh, I just got to that part," the boy smiled shyly, "But it looks like the two are going to fall in love."

"What? Why?"

Caught off guard by Ed's sudden and demanding questions, the boy stammered, "I-I guess it's because, when she gives into the emotions she was trying so hard to deny, she finds she actually enjoys his company. And when she does so, he realizes that he really does care for her, and having her enjoy him as opposed to fear him makes him feel better, or something."

Well that was just wonderful. Leave it to a fiction novel to throw reality all out of proportion. But then, the chef's book just may be on to something. Slowly, an idea dawned on Ed, and he smiled darkly to himself. Yes, that just might work.

Taking up the tray, Ed nodded his gratitude. "Thanks for that," he acknowledged, "I might come back later to get the title of that book from you." And with one last parting exchange, Ed took his leave and headed back to his dorm room. At his door, however, he found Mustang.

"Welcome back, Fullmetal," he greeted derisively, "That was a rather short day at the library for you." Roy's dark eyes then scanned Ed's lunch tray. "I didn't know you're opinion of milk changed."

Ed frowned. "Well, it did. Now if you'll excuse me…" In spite of this, Roy didn't move as Ed went to enter his room. Frown deepening, the blond repeated, "_If you'll excuse me._"

But the colonel didn't move. "Why is your room meowing, Fullmetal?"

Ed's face flushed. Stammering pathetically, Ed attempted to lie, "Wh-what are you talking about? Have you lost your mind, Mustang?"

"If I have, Fullmetal, I'm sure you'd love to prove it to me."

"What do you mean?" Ed asked guardedly.

Smiling triumphantly, Roy replied, "If there's really nothing alive in this room, I'm sure you'd love to invite me in and prove me wrong, right?"

The blond elbowed past his 'superior' irritably. "You know what, Roy?" he asked angrily, "I'm really sick of playing these games with you." Without looking at the other man, Ed wrestled with the tray and the doorknob, attempting to keep the food balanced and get his door open.

"If you want to stop playing games," Roy said calmly, reaching around to open Ed's door for him, "Then stop lying to me Edward."

Ed glanced momentarily at Roy, but gave no response. What was he supposed to say? His situation wasn't exactly one he was ready to openly admit to his boss, or anyone for that matter. But he wasn't about to stop the colonel from following him in either. Mustang at least deserved the truth about the cat.

The animal in question was right where Ed had left it, surprising the alchemist. Ok, so it was smarter than he'd thought. Ed couldn't help wondering if Envy had anything to do with that.

"So you have a cat," Roy sighed tiredly.

Putting the tray down on his desk, Ed rejoined, "Yeah, what of it?"

The dark haired man stared at Ed disappointedly. "You know the rules, Fullmetal. No animals in the dorm rooms."

"Yeah, yeah," Ed muttered, pouring the milk out into a bowl he had sitting on his desk from a former meal.

"Don't disregard this," Roy pressed, "I can't just let you break the rules left and right, Ed. It's bad enough that I let you get away with everything you do."

Continuing to ignore Mustang's irritated tone, Ed put the bowl down for the cat, who happily hopped down to it. "Look, I'll find its owner, ok? I'm not keeping it." Actually, it's 'owner' was no doubt coming for Ed anyway. Not that Roy had to know that.

The colonel sighed heavily, his tone dictating resignation. "Fine, just don't have it here tomorrow. If it's still here, I'll have to get rid of it." And with that, Roy took his leave, muttering one last thing that Ed didn't quite catch. Whatever. The blond had much bigger things to think about.

Ed sat down on his bed, watching absently as the cat licked carefully at the milk. He only had one option left. Trying to fight Envy off hadn't work, nor had dominating the homunculus as Ed's conscience had suddenly returned to him. And that's where everything had gone wrong. But last night had still given Ed the edge he needed to execute his new idea, or at least helped him realize he had it. Along with that book summary, Ed had formulated what could possibly be the best, and last plan possible. He just couldn't execute it here; not in his dorm room. The military served too strongly as a deterrent.

"Do you think I can do this?" Ed asked the cat who had stopped eating.

Once again, the animal simply mewed in response, walking over to rub against Ed's pant leg.

Leaning down, Ed pet the cat fondly. "You're right," he smiled softly, "This is my last chance isn't it?"

To Be Continued...

---

_Oooo...what's Ed planning? I was actually planning to put it in this chapter, but decided against it. HAHA! Now you all have to wait to see what it is! Oh, I'm evil. XD Ha, yeah right. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It too is kind of slow, but, again, building up to the climax - and possibly the end - of this story. YAY! _

_- Selvanic_


	9. Chapter 9

_Ok, so this chapter took me well over two weeks to actually finish. I don't know _why_ it was so painful, but it was. I only just finished writing the last three pages last night. It was just about one in the morning by the time I typed the last sentence. Oddly enough, I find it much easier to find inspiration late at night when I'm only half conscious then during the day. However, BECAUSE I'm only half conscious, words tend to escape me. So...you'll probably see some of that later on in this chapter. Unless I managed to cover it up. In which case, YAY ME! XD _

_Right then, on with stuff about the chapter itself. I feel I'm drawing near to something of a conclusion. I would be very happy if I was, because part way through writing this, I came up with another story ((Damn it all...)) Again, I pose the warning; HEAVY YAOI CONTENT. Don't like it, don't read it...well...don't read the last part. Heh... . ENJOY!_

_---_

There was no way Envy was leaving his cat with chibi-chan. The stuck up little alchemist was _not_ keeping the much nicer 'Chibi-chan'. Not to mention the cat's absence gave him a prime opportunity to return to Ed's dorm room. But he had to keep his guard up while he was still on Central's streets. No doubt, Dante had noticed Envy's disappearance, and he couldn't be sure whether or not she'd sent someone to find him. So, until he was safely secure in the military headquarters, Envy had to keep his guard up, and a disguise on.

As he wandered the streets, he'd once again taken the guise of a pretty young girl. For some reason, Ed had seemed much less suspicious of him as a woman than as 'Eric'. Funny how that worked. And so, with short red hair and piercing green eyes, Envy walked casually down the street, his black heels clicking rhythmically. No wonder Lust wore them; they were quite amusing. However, picking a pretty girl as a disguise, may have been a bad idea.

"Where you off to missy?" a thick, burly voice demanded.

Envy frowned. Damn humans. Turning around, Envy flipped his hair vainly, staring at the large man behind him with unmasked disdain. Stupid bastard wasn't alone. He had a gang of two other men at least the same size. In spite of their size, though, it didn't look like they had the intelligence to match any of their muscles. Typical.

Giving them another once over, Envy scoffed and turned away from them. He didn't have time for this crap. Apparently, the 'leader' had no intention of letting him walk away.

"I said, where you going?" he demanded a second time, one large, hairy hand now placed on the shoulder of Envy's black trench.

The homunculus sighed and easily pried the disgusting hand from his coat. Turning back around, Envy sneered, "I'm going somewhere called the 'military'. Have you boneheads heard of it?"

All three men's faces went red, either in embarrassment or anger, Envy couldn't tell. Clearly, though, they didn't like being back talked by their prospective rape victim.

"You bitch," one of the others snarled, "You can't talk to us like that."

Smiling derisively, Envy countered, "Oh, I'm sorry. Was 'boneheads' too big of a word for you? What about dumb ass? Is that simple enough?"

Infuriated by Envy's arrogant mockery, the three men advanced on the 'helpless girl'. Envy could have laughed. As the first one came within range, he planted a firm kick to the idiot's gut, knocking him back a good four or five feet. The other two paused, staring in amazement at their fallen companion. Envy didn't care. Grabbing another by the collar, Envy threw the large brute of a man into his stunned cohort like a rag doll, sufficiently defeating all three in two moves.

"Now then," 'she' smiled darkly, "Are you going to continue to pester me, or have you learned your lesson?"

The first one he'd hit, the 'leader', groaned painfully. Envy's smile widened. Yes, that had done the trick. And it had also satisfactorily served to calm his temper somewhat.

As he turned to continue on his way, Envy noticed that the scene had attracted quite the attention. Oh, shit. Women of Central probably didn't fight like that. But he had to play it up. Smiling at the small audience that had gathered, Envy waved shyly to all of them, to signal that he was fine. That's when the police officer pushed through the onlookers to get to him.

"Are you alright ma'am?" he asked.

Sighing internally, Envy answered, "Yes, I'm fine officer."

The man looked at the fallen thugs and then back at the slender form that Envy had chosen. "_You_ beat these men down all by yourself?"

"I did," Envy nodded.

Apparently impressed, the officer complimented, "Well done! You should teach a self defense course for the other women of this city. It would certainly do to prevent events like this one; or at least those like where this was probably headed."

Envy couldn't have cared less, but he tried to remain pleasant. "I couldn't," he said with faked modesty, "Besides, I've just come from out of town. I'm visiting someone."

"Could I help you find them ma'am?"

"No," Envy replied, just wishing the idiot would leave, "I'll be just fine, thank you."

The officer nodded. "If you say so." He then moved away to disperse the already thinning crowd. What was wrong with these people? A woman is threatened by three thugs and all they can do is watch? Stupid, selfish, humans. He couldn't fathom why Lust and the others so desired to be one of them.

Nonetheless, he still had to find _his_ human. And, with what he knew of chibi-chan's habits, it wasn't going to be too difficult. Envy flipped his red hair offhandedly and continued on his way towards military headquarters. Once again, his feet fell into the monotonous pace of walking speed, his mind drifting off with the sound of his high heels. Just how was he going to go about the task of fully destroying the alchemist emotionally? The goal was to have the boy so broken, so wounded, that simply seeing Envy will have the alchemist terrified. He was close; Ed's confidence was certainly less than it was before whenever he knew he was the homunculus' presence. But it wasn't enough.

On his way to headquarters, though, Envy found himself _passing_ the very alchemist he was seeking. The homunculus quickly ceased walking, turning around sharply. Where the hell was chibi-chan going? And was that his cat the blonde had with him? Ok, so Envy hadn't been expecting this. Whatever. The little snag was not about to slow his progress any. It would, possibly, inform Edward that he had a follower.

Yet, the alchemist gave no sign of notice. His heavily booted feet continued to walk steadily down the sidewalk, right back towards where Envy had first seen him; the library. Ah, chibi-chan must have had some research left unfinished. It never failed to amaze Envy just how much the boy could store in that pretty little head of his. After all, the chibi's intelligence had been what had drawn the homunculi to him in the first place. At least initially.

Envy followed carefully behind the blond, even as the younger man walked into the library. He watched as Ed shared a small exchange with the pretty young girl behind the desk. Alright, who was she now? Whoever she was, she was flirting shamelessly with _his _alchemist. Bitch. She'd get her's one day. But the homunculus didn't have the time to waste fuming about this woman's indiscretion. Chibi-chan was on the move once again, headed over to what looked like a small, separate room.

Being significantly more logical than most thought of him, Envy walked into the shelves of the library, knowing that following the blond to a private room would definitely draw attention to himself. However, he kept a close watch on the other's movements. Sure enough, the room had been exactly where Ed had been headed, the smaller man slipping in soundlessly, leaving the door only marginally ajar. Good, Envy had a way in. Now to get rid of that stupid woman at the desk.

The shape shifter peered through the shelves. The girl in question was typing away on a typewriter, her bright blue eyes scanning the pages in front of her. That was fortunate; she was already sufficiently distracted. And so the homunculus moved silently toward the vaguely open door, altering forms as he entered and pulled it shut behind him.

His kitten noticed first. Mewing happily at the return of its initial owner, Chibi-chan drew the attention of the person it had been named for to the intruder.

"Envy," Ed hissed under his breath, getting to his feet, "What the hell do you want?"

Raising an eyebrow, the shape shifter countered, "As if you don't know."

The alchemist pushed the chair he'd been sitting in under the table, in the same moment shoving the stack of books against the far wall. Wait…if chibi-chan had really come here to read, then why had the books been stacked? Why wasn't there one open? Shit! It was a trap.

However, as Envy realized it, Ed had already advanced, arms on either side of the homunculus and planted firmly on the only door in the room. The faint blue glow of alchemy could be seen out of the corner of Envy's eye. Damn it! The chibi had sealed the door entirely.

But he couldn't lose control of the situation, not yet. Envy smiled disdainfully, sneering, "Someone's a tad eager today, aren't they?"

"Shut up," the blond muttered, kissing Envy boldly, digging his hands into the shape shifter's thick hair.

Envy groaned but wasn't about to give up. After all, Ed had failed to restrain his arms this time around. However, that wasn't the only thing that struck Envy as different. There was something unquestionably changed in the boy's behavior, in the confidence that accompanied the first kiss. No matter. Envy, too, intended to try something different.

As the kiss was broken, Envy pushed his chibi aggressively backwards, the shape shifter's arms wrapped selfishly around Ed's slight waist. The study wasn't a big room, and the far wall from the door happened to be the only one that didn't have anything against it. Regardless, Edward gasped sharply as his back hit the solid partition none too gently. But something was wrong. Behind those bright, golden eyes wasn't the usual fear. No, this time, it was pure, unhindered, desire. Envy frowned slightly; he'd have to work harder if he was going to obtain his goal.

"What's the matter?" Ed purred, nipping at Envy's lower lip. "You look disappointed."

No! This wasn't supposed to be happening. Chibi-chan was not supposed to be in control. But Envy couldn't let the alchemist know he was winning. So, instead of answering and risking his voice's betrayal, the homunculus merely kissed the younger man. He was surprised to find that entry to the chibi's mouth no longer required force; if anything, the blond practically invited Envy's invasion. Things were getting worse by the second.

This time around, the kiss was broken off because of a soft, demanding, mewing. Both alchemist and homunculus paused to stare at the dejected kitten. It's large green eyes stared back, looking as if it didn't like the sudden development that had occurred. Once it was sure it had their attention, Chibi-chan made it a point to walk between them, settling awkwardly between their feet.

Smiling, Ed muttered, "I think he's jealous."

"Well now," Envy replied, "He'll just have to deal with it."

In an attempt to regain control of the situation, Envy made short work of his chibi's shirts, easily manipulating the top one open and tearing the black tank underneath. The shape shifter then dragged indulgent kisses down his target's throat and chest. Edward arched his back, his arms thrown above his head and clawing at the wall behind him. A strangled mixture of pleasure and shock escaped the blonde's lips as Envy's mouth hungrily sought the smaller man's nipples.

Ed's breathing was erratic as Envy moved his seductive kisses to the sensitive automail joint, the alchemist clearly struggling to restrain his pleasure. And Envy wasn't sure whether or not it was a good thing. Not that he had the time to really think on the matter. Trailing his slender hands down Ed's heaving chest, the homunculus latched his fingers onto the chibi's belt, effortlessly undoing the large metal buckle that held it in place.

"Ah, Envy," the alchemist panted heavily, attempting to regulate his breathing, "Not here. Oh god, there are too many people."

Ignoring the other man's pleas, Envy dropped the leather belt to the floor, nimble fingers moving to work on chibi-chan's actual pants, all the while caressing the alchemist's heated chest with his slick tongue. Unfortunately, it seemed the careless dropping of the belt was not appreciated by the third party in the room.

The kitten took an irritated swipe at Envy's foot, causing more pain than the homunculus had anticipated. Envy gasped sharply and glared down at the cat, who stared back at him with unwavering nerve. Stupid animal! Couldn't it see Envy was busy? Suddenly, Envy couldn't remember why he'd wanted the damn thing back.

Ed, too, looked down at the cat, curious as to just what had stopped Envy. The alchemist muttered softly, "Your foot is bleeding."

"Damn it," the shape shifter scoffed, more to himself than anyone in particular. Envy wiggled the toes of his injured foot experimentally. At least it didn't hurt. However, something would definitely have to be done about the attention craving cat.

Reluctantly moving away from the blond, Envy picked Chibi-chan up by the scruff of the neck. The kitten seemed satisfied, obviously thrilled by merely having Envy acknowledge it. Envy pondered over what to do with it momentarily, more than a little tempted to throw the damn animal out the door. But then, that would take more effort than the shape shifter was willing to expend on such a small thing. So what to do with it? The room wasn't big enough to actually set it somewhere that wouldn't cause a problem.

"Envy?" the alchemist asked, "Are you just going to stare at it all day, or are you going to do something with it?"

The homunculus glared indiscreetly at Fullmetal. Someone was snippy. "Fine," Envy answered shortly, "I'll just take it home."

Ed frowned, seemingly confused by Envy's decision. Absently brushing some stray hair from his face, the chibi asked, "So then…what? I'm not waiting for you here."

"Of course you're not," Envy snorted, "You're coming with me." The homunculus smiled as his victim's face flushed. Yes, there was the panic he'd been trying to evict from the blond. Finally, he was getting somewhere. Perhaps unfamiliar playing ground was the only angle Envy needed to win this silly game once and for all. Either that, or a _public_ playing ground. But the latter was somewhat frowned upon; homunculi preferring to keep their existence to themselves. Trying anything in public - as he was - was certainly a last ditch effort. And so 'unfamiliar' it was.

Taking his chibi's hand, Envy altered forms back to the pretty red head he'd been before, swiftly making his way out of the study with the alchemist in tow. Given, he had to allow for Ed to not only retrieve his belt, but also make the door usable again. Regardless, the homunculus could feel the other's tension and loved it. Not so confident anymore, was he?

The librarian looked up as the two were taking their leave, and, without a doubt, saw Ed's disinclination and state of disarray. "Edward?" she asked, concern quite clear in her voice, "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," the alchemist muttered, trying to pull Envy to a stop. "But I don't think I'll be back. Sorry about the mess."

Envy didn't have time for their little conversation, and kept his pace steady, forcing the chibi to call out his apology in order to be heard. The homunculus was thinking harder than usual. Not only did he have to try and regain control of the increasingly difficult situation, but he also had to sneak his chibi into the underground mansion without actually giving anything away. Shit. This new tactic suddenly didn't seem worth the effort.

Twirling the alchemist around as they reached the street, Envy forced the other man up against the same wall as before, and kissed him forcefully. "On second thought," he breathed against Ed's parted lips, "Let's skip my place. A hotel room should be fine. Even an alley would work."

The blonde's face was flushed horribly, noticeably frightened by the homunculus' implications. However, it was also apparent that chibi-chan was quickly figuring out how to cope with the situation. Envy would have to act fast.

"The alley will be cheaper," the shape shifter mused, turning away from Ed but never releasing his prey's hand.

However, as Envy began to walk forward again, chibi-chan pulled against him. "What are you going to do with your cat if we use an alley?" the alchemist questioned, voice straining to remain calm, "Wouldn't a hotel room be more useful?"

Ha! The boy was grasping at straws. Perfect. Envy would have to remember just how opposed Edward was to publicizing their 'affair'. But the alchemist rose a good point. The kitten needed to be put somewhere; preferably somewhere it couldn't interfere. Besides, Envy had already decided that a public display would have to be last ditch effort. So, a hotel room it was. Not that he was going to let the chibi know that _he_ had anything to do with the decision.

Sighing, Envy tilted his head to the left, pretending to actually think the proposal over. Finally, he shrugged elegantly and answered nonchalantly, "Fine. But you're paying."

"Wh-what?!" the alchemist stuttered angrily, "I never agreed to that!"

Envy stopped walking for a second time and looked over his shoulder at the flustered blond. Raising an eyebrow, he said flatly, "Well, if that's the case then I guess we'll just have to use an alley." Smiling darkly, Envy adored Ed's horrified reaction. And so he elaborated, "I mean, seeing as neither of us is willing to pay…"

"Fine, you win," chibi-chan scoffed, "I'll…I'll pay for the room."

The homunculus smiled broadly at his victim. "You're adorable when you play submissive," Envy teased, stealing another quick kiss. "So then, just where did you want to stay? Hm, chibi-chan?"

Glaring at the disguised homunculus, the blonde snarled, "Don't call me that."

Envy ignored the blatant annoyance. Instead, he simply turned away and resumed walking down the street, saying cheerfully, "The nearest place it is!"

Chibi-chan grumbled incoherent aggravations, but gave no further arguments. Clearly, the alchemist knew when he'd been beaten. Good; Envy wanted his victim obedient. And so, when the two finally came across a decent hotel, Envy was in a much better mood than he had been only moments before. Control had officially been regained.

"We need a room for the night," Envy beamed, playing up the jovial young girl angle.

The clerk at the desk flipped through a large, bound book, stopping more than halfway through. "Ah, here we are," the man noted, "We have a room on the fourth floor available." He then looked to the 'couple'. "Now, do you need one or two beds?"

Before the homunculus could get a word in, chibi-chan said smoothly, "One should be fine."

Envy stared at the blonde in a moment of shock. Had chibi-chan really just…? What the hell?! Why was the boy suddenly so eager, so willing? Damn it all! But the shape shifter had to keep his composure about himself if he was to be the dominant party. Might as well take the public approach while he was in disguise. After all, Ed knew it was Envy.

Throwing his arms around the alchemist, Envy smiled, "Oh, sweetie, you're just so cute!" Then, without any reserve whatsoever, Envy kissed his chibi, licking the younger man's face and throat as they broke.

"Uh…sir? Ma'am?" the clerk coughed uncomfortably, "I…I need to know how long you intend to st-stay with us."

The homunculus remained attached to Edward, mouth still brushing audaciously along the other's face and lips. "Just tonight," Envy purred, nipping the alchemist's ear lobe, "And he'll be paying."

Clearly growing distressed at Envy's flamboyant behavior, chibi-chan pushed discreetly away from the disguised homunculus and approached the counter. His pretty young face was flushed with embarrassment and he didn't say a word as he paid the clerk and took the room key. Nor did the boy say anything when Envy swiftly took up his hand and pulled him toward the elevator. At least the hotel had some decent transportation. And it had staff that was smart enough not to question its clients. Envy had been impressed at how well the clerk had handled the alchemist's state of disorder.

The room itself was nothing to write home about. With a small bathroom to the right upon entry, it was merely composed of two rooms. Past the small washroom was a larger room, containing the bed immediately to the right, a desk to the left with a mirror above it, a phone, and a set of chairs and a couch against the far wall. A fair sized window was above the furniture set, its dark curtains drawn for the hours of darkness. So it was nothing special; Envy was by no means put out by the lack of extravagancies. He needed nothing fancy for the evening's activities.

Nonchalantly throwing the kitten who had settled in against his arm into the small bathroom, Envy shut the door callously, sufficiently preventing Chibi-chan's interference. The homunculus then turned his attention back to his lovely alchemist.

Ed stood against the door they came in through, glancing about the room. And a calm had settled over him. Not again…

Shifting back to his androgynous appearance, Envy caught Ed's arm and pulled the blond in close, swiftly wrapping his free arm about the slighter man's waist and capturing his target's lips at the same time. As the kiss deepened, Envy lifted chibi-chan from the floor, forcing Ed to wrap his legs around the homunculus' middle. The sudden added weight caused Envy to stumble momentarily, but he regained his poise quickly and easily made his way to the bed. Dropping the blond carelessly onto the piece of furniture, Envy ended the kiss without warning.

The alchemist gasped as his body hit the bed unexpectedly. His large golden eyes stared at Envy, fogged over by the passion of the kiss. Smiling up at the shape shifter, Ed panted, "Are you just going to stand there, or are we going to get somewhere with this?"

Envy smiled and positioned himself above his chibi, stealing yet another possessive kiss. "Oh, we'll get somewhere," Envy purred against the younger man's lips, "You just have 'come' with me."

The emerald-black haired man could feel the heat on Ed's face at the implication. That worked well. Pulling away the shirts he'd already ruined, Envy attacked the chibi's torso with heated kisses, drawing a sharp hiss of breath from the man beneath him. Now to work on those damned pants. Envy grabbed the chibi's waistband flagrantly, beginning his work without second thought. And to make sure Ed gave no protest about the matter, Envy's mouth continued to tease and toy with the more sensitive areas of the boy's bare chest. Ed arched his body upward in a combination of meeting Envy's mouth and assisting the shape shifter in the removal of the alchemist's lower garments. In surprisingly little time, Envy found himself laying on top of a gorgeously naked Edward.

Blushing slightly, chibi-chan grabbed onto the back of Envy's shirt, his arms wrapped around the homunculus' neck. "At least play fair," the blond whispered.

"This is fair," Envy replied, licking a trail lower down Ed's upper body, "You've seen me, and now I've seen you."

Ed gasped sharply as Envy's long fingers teased his leg's automail joint. Ah, another sensitive spot. Envy would have to start committing these to memory. The shape shifter dragged his mouth farther down the chibi's stomach, trying not to take _too_ much pleasure in how Ed bucked and moaned beneath him. What he _did_ allow himself to take pleasure in, however, was just how much _Ed_ was enjoying the ordeal.

Whistling softly, Envy mocked, "Aren't you excited?"

"Shut up," the alchemist hissed through clenched teeth. "Ah! God, stop teasing!"

Taking a quick lick at Ed's sin, Envy whispered, "There is no God." And with that, the homunculus quite indulgently went down on the squirming alchemist.

The sound that came from the blonde's mouth could only be described as a scream of unbridled carnality. Ed's hands clawed at the blankets beneath them, his lithe body lifting itself to find Envy's hot mouth. The homunculus couldn't help but smile. Yes, this was it, the control he was looking for, the dominance. As Envy's mouth worked harder, faster, Ed's breathing increased significantly. Beads of sweat slid down the alchemist's thighs and chest as he moved to the shape shifter's pace, screaming out incoherent sounds of pleasure. And, finally, Ed shuddered as he found his relief to Envy's skilled tongue.

Swallowing down the taste of his chibi, Envy crawled up Ed's tired body, trailing self-indulgent kisses all the way. The alchemist's chest heaved in an attempt to regulate his breathing; the younger man's lovely face flushed, his eyes closed. Envy easily captured chibi-chan's mouth, digging his long fingers into disheveled golden hair.

"You like that?" Envy asked softly, licking Ed's swollen lips.

Chibi-chan kissed the homunculus desperately, once again wrapping himself about Envy's neck. Breaking off, Ed replied, "Do you have to ask?"

The shape shifter laughed. Such a typical chibi-chan answer. "Well then," the homunculus smiled broadly, "How about I satisfy myself now?"

Ed blushed deeply, eyes involuntarily traveling the other's body. Envy was amused by how quickly chibi-chan's confidence came and went. It kept things…interesting.

Shifting away his clothes, Envy kissed his chibi selfishly. He wasn't going to give Ed any time to think about what was about to happen. Once the homunculus was sure the alchemist was suitably distracted by the kiss, Envy forced his newfound 'lover's' legs open and thrust himself none too gently into the smaller man. Ed cried out, compulsorily breaking the kiss. Clearly, the alchemist hadn't been ready for the painful entry. But he took it surprisingly well, shifting his hips in an attempt to accommodate the homunculus. Envy latched his hands onto Ed's waist, moving his own body roughly against the alchemist's. As the shape shifter sought to fulfill his own needs, he drank in the sounds his chibi made with each movement like water. Perhaps the shrink had been right, to some extent; dominating Ed was definitely satisfactory.

"Ah, Envy!" the blond managed to choke out, "Y-you're so hard. AH!" Chibi-chan cried out loudly as Envy's length clearly hit the good spot, his whole body bucking upwards.

Envy smiled darkly, ignoring the sweat that streaked his face as he tried to hit his chibi's g-spot repeatedly. And he was successful if Ed's cries were any indication. However, the homunculus couldn't hold out much longer. His body was reaching its peak fairly quickly, especially with all the encouragement chibi-chan was supplying. With one final thrust, Envy let himself go, his own slender body falling against Ed's, his face resting on the blonde's chest.

Panting heavily, Envy muttered, "Did I hurt you chibi-chan?"

"Don't call me that," Ed whispered in response, entangling his left hand in Envy's mess of green hair. "And I'm fine."

The homunculus chuckled and kissed at the hot skin of the younger man's torso. "Glad to hear it," he purred, "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

However, as Envy moved to leave the alchemist, Ed tightened his grip on the shape shifter's hair. Envy flinched slightly and frowned. What now?

"You're not going anywhere," the alchemist said flatly.

Confused, Envy crawled up his chibi's body to meet the boy face-to-face. "And why not?" he asked honestly.

Ed shrugged as if the answer was obvious. "We took this room out, so we're going to use it."

"We have used it," Envy pointed out, kissing chibi-chan just for kicks. "Or have you forgotten already?"

Rebounding with a kiss of his own, Ed retorted, "I haven't forgotten. I'm just saying that if I paid for this room - for the two of us - we're _both_ going to stay here."

Envy blushed in spite of himself. What?! Chibi-chan wanted him to stay?! Since when? Why? Was this some sort of trap?? "Look, chibi-chan, I'm touched," Envy sneered, "But I really ought to go."

"Why? Scared?"

What?! The little prick was mocking him now!! Stupid, fucking, chibi and his sporadic bursts of confidence. Shifting his hips teasingly against Ed's, Envy shot back, "Hardly. I just have better things to do."

"I somehow doubt that," Ed smiled derisively.

The homunculus could _feel_ his nerves snapping. "Fine," he hissed, "I'll stay if you want me so bad."

Kissing Envy brazenly, Ed teased, "I knew you would." Then, quite contradictorily to what he'd just said, chibi-chan pushed the shape shifter off to the side, forcing Envy to lay on his back.

"What are you doing?" Envy asked, sitting up to watch Ed shuffle off the bed.

The blond didn't even bother to look up from what he was doing. He simply gave his answer offhandedly, as if he couldn't have cared less if Envy knew or not. "I'm looking for my clothes. I don't like to sleep without them."

Envy shrugged elegantly. "I really don't care either way, chibi-chan. If you leave them off, it will be less work later tonight when you remember you want me."

A pair of pants to the face was the only response Envy received from his lovely chibi. Apparently, the alchemist only really wanted to find his underwear. The homunculus eyed his 'lover' up hungrily, smiling as Ed noticed the attention. 

"Mmm, you look mighty tasty right now chibi-chan," Envy purred.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Ed replied indignantly, "Would you just shut up? I'm tired."

Envy pouted slightly, but wasn't given the time for a clever response. The alchemist had fallen back, one arm thrown almost possessively about the shape shifter's waist. He pulled Envy close, snuggling in against the homunculus' chest.

"Ne, chibi-chan?" Envy quipped curiously, "What about the blankets?"

Ed grumbled something incomprehensibly, but sat up to tug irritably at the covers beneath them. Envy couldn't help but smile. Chibi-chan really was tired. Finally, after some struggling, and no help from the homunculus, the two of them wound up beneath the sheets they'd so indelicately made love on. And once again, Ed wrapped his arms around Envy's bare waist, resting his pretty head on the shape shifter's chest. Then, slowly, gradually, chibi-chan fell asleep, his breathing falling into rhythm.

Envy stared at the blond who lay attached to him. Something had gone wrong, again. But much worse this time. Even _after_ the deed had been done, chibi-chan had retained some level of confidence and dignity. Why? Whatever it was, it was escaping the homunculus' already tired brain.

Yet, even though everything had gone wrong, his plan having failed horribly, something felt _right_. As he lay there, with the blond sleeping contentedly against his bare chest, he felt something entirely unfamiliar. It was as if every other aspect of his life had faded away. With his defeat, a part of him had been revealed; a part of him he'd tried so hard to ignore. And for the past several hundred years, he'd managed to do just that. He'd buried these emotions, ignored them, denied them, and convinced everyone - including himself - that he'd successfully killed them. So then, why -_ how _- did chibi-chan revive them? Nothing made sense; Envy no longer knew who he was. And yet, he couldn't have cared less.

Wrapping his arms about the alchemist's smaller body, Envy held Ed close and gave way to sleep. All he could be sure of was that morning would come, and with it, life would return to normal, his logic would return. And so, accompanied by the warmth of the other's body, the homunculus drifted into the most restful sleep he'd had in God knew how many years. Something about making love to Ed seemed to drain the energy right out of him.

To Be Continued...

---

_Ok...so...wait. Where was I going with this?! AH! I lost my train of thought!!! -faints- _

_Never mind! I've got it! I apologize for how short this chapter was. I was really struggling with it. And I something about it bothers me...so I may very well go back through and change some stuff. I'm just not sure what yet. I might not EVEN. But I'm just giving you all a heads up. If you see anything, please let me know, ok? Even negative reviews are welcome..._


	10. Chapter 10

_I DID IT!!! I GOT THROUGH CHAPTER TEN!!! -faints- You can not imagine how stressful this chapter was for me. As I wrote it, I was faced with the challenge of whether or not to end the whole thing. And I chose not to. I know some of you will be angry with me, crying out, "How much longer are you going to drag this out?!" or other such curses of indignance and frustration, but I promise it won't go on for more than two or three more chapters. My brain is being drained by this like a virgin by a vampire. Don't ask. It's 12:35 in the morning. I don't want to think right now. _

_Ok, so I have to work later this morning ((ie: 12:00 in the afternoon, less than twelve hours from now)) and I'm am dead tired but I don't wanna sleep. Is that stupid? And another thing; I've become horribly addicted to the show 'Storm Hawks'. I highly recommend it. Not because it's amazingly complicated or intelligent or heart wrenching or anything like Fullmetal Alchemist, but because it's funny. I kill myself laughing at the characters and how stupid some of the stuff is. STORK IS AMAZING!! I'm obsessed with drawing him. Lovely lovely merb that he is. PS: He's got the same hair color as Envy...cool._

_Well, now that I've sufficiently wasted a large amount of your time, here it is. Hope you like; please review; even negative "YOU SUCK" reviews are welcome._

_---_

The Fullmetal Alchemist's otherwise blissful sleep was rudely interrupted by a loud banging against the hotel's aged wooden door. Groaning drowsily, Edward Elric wiped the sleep from his eyes and sat up. The homunculus beside him slumbered on, undisturbed. Lucky bastard.

Then it dawned on Ed. Had his plan worked? He'd followed through to the best of his abilities, only losing his cool a couple of times, and only for short periods of time. And judging by how Envy had reacted to the invitation to stay, the alchemist had probably been successful. Ed would have to thank that boy in the mess hall. Giving into the desire he'd only just discovered he'd had had made the experience much easier; at least for Ed.

Another knock pounded against the door, this time followed by deep voiced commands that Ed didn't quite catch. Damn it, who was here _now_?

Pulling himself from the bed, Ed found his pants and belt, put them on, and answered the door. And to his surprise, Ed found himself facing not only Mustang, but a fleet of policemen as well.

"Uh…colonel?" Ed asked curiously, "What's going on?"

Roy eyed Ed critically, a look of solemn tedium on his face. "We had a call in from your friend at the library," the Flame Alchemist explained, "She says you were 'forcibly removed from the building by a red haired stranger'. She says she'd never seen the two of you together before."

The blond blushed faintly. Right; Envy _had_ been fairly pushy in the library. That stupid prick needed to learn something about being discreet. Stumbling on his words, Ed said quickly, "Well, yeah, I…I mean she kind of…she could have been overreacting, right? It's…it's no big deal."

"So then why are you in a hotel room, Fullmetal?" the colonel pressed coldly. "You gave no notice of your absence."

Ed glanced momentarily over his shoulder. Shit, shit, shit!! The alchemist suddenly found himself _praying_ for Envy to wake up. At least then Ed wouldn't necessarily be caught with a homunculus.

Acting on Ed's silence, Roy continued, undaunted. "The clerk downstairs says that you came in with a young woman, several inches taller than you, who was quite…passionate with you. He also says you paid on your military account after specifically requesting a single bed. Care to explain, Fullmetal?"

"It's not…I mean…So maybe…I'm sixteen you asshole! Mind your own business!!" Damn it! Ed cursed himself violently. Stupid fucking temper. There was no way Mustang was going to let that slide. And there was definitely no way the colonel was just going to walk away now.

The darker haired man frowned at Ed's outburst, but gave no comment. Instead, he looked over his shoulder at the five officers who accompanied him and said, "Move in. We have to make sure this isn't worse than it seems." Smiling darkly at the stammering Ed, Roy hissed, "This had better just be a teenage fling Fullmetal, for your sake."

Ed flailed slightly, trying futilely to stop the policemen from pressing on. When he was clearly not getting anywhere, the alchemist pushed ahead of them, standing at the end of the small hall that separated the entryway from the main room.

"Look, she's sleeping," Ed offered quickly, "Could we just leave her be for now?"

One of the officers - the one with the bushy mustache - shook his head. "I'm sorry son. The report filed leads us to believe you were forced here. We have to speak with the woman in question."

But Ed wouldn't let them get past him, not this time. Planting himself firmly in place, the blond refused to move. For the first time in his life, Ed prayed to _anyone_ that Envy would get up. Even a distraction would have been great.

From the bathroom, Ed's prayers were answered. Behind the door Envy had so callously closed the night before, a frightened and demanding mewing could be heard. The police officers glanced at one another before one moved to open the washroom door. As soon as it was opened, the cat darted out, seeking its owner.

Roy watched from the entryway, frown deepening. "Isn't that the cat you had in your room, Fullmetal?" he asked.

"Yeah, it is," Ed nodded, lifting his foot to let it scoot past him, "The girl's his owner." Oh, please, let the cat wake Envy up.

Once again, the bushy mustache cop addressed Ed. "Son, were you keeping that animal in the bathroom?"

Ed nodded quickly.

"Why? That's not safe for it."

Oh shit, animal cruelty charges. "It was just for the night," Ed stammered, "W-we weren't going to leave it there. We just knew that it…it was possessive of her."

The colonel smiled derisively. "And so it didn't like you making love to its owner is what you're telling us," he sneered.

"Th-that's not it!" Ed blushed.

Then, from behind him, he heard the voice Envy had chosen last night when he'd spoken to the clerk. "Actually, that is it," the soft female tone corrected. "We had to put him in the bathroom so he wouldn't bother us."

Ed spun around and saw the pretty red haired girl Envy had picked for a disguise the other day. Inwardly, the alchemist heaved a sigh of relief. Thank God the bastard wasn't as stupid as he looked.

The policemen glanced at one another before a different one asked, "Ma'am, could we talk to you please?"

"Certainly," Envy smiled compliantly.

Roy, looking less impressed than ever, motioned for Ed to come with him. Apparently, the colonel wished to speak with his 'subordinate' elsewhere.

Glancing once more at the shape shifter, Ed shuffled reluctantly after Mustang. Once they were in the hall, Ed said defensively, "You see? It's just the cat's owner."

"What's her name?" Roy asked flatly.

Ed's face flushed. Shit! He knew this tactic. He'd ask Ed what 'her' name was away from the girl, and then ask the same question away from Ed. This was not good. He had to pick something Envy would pick, but what?

"I-it's Carmen," Ed muttered awkwardly.

The colonel nodded. "I see. And how long have you known her?"

Glaring at the taller man, Ed shot, "What are you, my dad?"

"Answer the question, Fullmetal."

Ed couldn't decide who he was angrier with at the moment; Envy for his lack of discretion or Roy for his intrusive tendencies. Besides, since when did Roy care so much? Why did his life have such bad timing?

"I've known her for quite a while now," the blond answered, "Since before the homunculi if that's what you're thinking."

Roy gave no response to the blatant shot. His face remained placid and unaffected. "Thank you Fullmetal," the colonel nodded, "Now, if you'll please stay here…"

This was it! Roy was going to go tell the cops what to ask 'Carmen' and totally screw the whole thing over. Damn it all! What was he supposed to do? He had to distract the colonel somehow.

"Roy!" Ed called out before the man could re-enter the room. "I-I need to ask you something."

Turning around with forced patience, Mustang replied, "What is it?"

"Wh-why do you care so much?" At least he could be honest. Maybe then his distraction would also be significantly helpful.

The Flame Alchemist frowned in confusion. "What do you mean, Fullmetal?" he asked back.

Ed couldn't meet the other's gaze. "I-I mean, why are you so worried about what I'm doing? It's…not like you." Why was he getting flustered over this?! It was just a question right? Was he afraid of Roy's answer?

The blond could hear Roy's approaching footsteps, could see the man's shadow advance nearer to him. Placing a gloved hand on Edward's shoulder, Mustang whispered, "I'm worried about you Ed. You've been acting strange lately. Armstrong sees it, I see it, everyone sees it. But you won't tell us anything. We had to call that psychiatrist from a few days ago to find out just what you were up to."

Looking up into Roy's openly concerned gaze, Ed could feel his face pale. They'd called Gerard? Shit! How much did they know?!

"Carmen's a homunculus, isn't she?" Roy pressed softly, "What are you doing, Edward? Why are you getting involved with these people? Why aren't you letting me in?"

Ed didn't know what to say. This was much more confusing than he'd first expected. Roy wanted in? Why? To what? "Roy…I…it's not something you would understand." The blond couldn't find the words he was searching for, couldn't think of what to tell the other man.

But the colonel wasn't about to give up. "Ed, you could get hurt. You told us yourself; these homunculi can't be trusted. They're dangerous creatures Ed. Please, I'm begging you, don't face them alone."

"Roy…" Ed shook his head. He was hurting the colonel by keeping things from him, he was scaring the older man. And Ed had had not inkling of this. Finally, Ed gathered up the strength to meet Mustang's eyes. "You have to trust me," he pleaded, "This is something no one can handle but me."

Mustang shook his head adamantly. "No, Fullmetal, I can't just leave you…"

"You have to!" Ed insisted, "I promise, I wouldn't do this alone if I knew I didn't have to."

Sighing heavily, Roy's shoulders fell. "If you say so," the colonel muttered, turning away from the younger man, "But if _anything_ like this ever comes up again, you inform me first, alright?"

Ed smiled faintly. "Sure, I'll try to remember that."

Roy gave no answer as he walked away and into the hotel room. Ed could hear the other man talking to the police officers, hopefully dismissing them. And, sure enough, the five uniformed men shuffled out one after the other, each one casting a final glance in Ed's direction. Lastly, Roy walked out, stopping in the hall to stare at the blond.

"Take care of yourself," Mustang mouthed silently.

Nodding his understanding, Ed saluted Roy casually. The colonel smiled and returned the gesture, slowly turning to walk off down the hall. Ed sighed and fell against the wall across from his room's door. Good lord, why couldn't things just go easily for once?

"You alright, chibi-chan?" Envy's voice purred from the doorway.

Ed looked up and met the homunculus' mocking stare. The shape shifter had reverted back to his preferred appearance and was leaning against the doorframe, the kitten nestled in the crook of his left arm. Ed's breath hitched in his throat and he found himself more than a little frustrated with the man before him.

Snarling under his breath, Ed hissed, "Are you stupid?! They could have still been here!"

The homunculus shrugged elegantly. "Come now, chibi-chan, you don't think I checked? Besides, I'm surprised they left so soon." Smiling cynically, Envy added, "What did you do? Give your colonel what you gave me?" However, just like the last time the shape shifter had made such an implication, there was something underlying the cynicism; fear.

"Hardly," Ed scoffed, "Unlike you, I've mastered the idea of _speaking _to people." Best to ignore that odd wavering. Then he wouldn't have to drive himself mad wondering why Envy would be afraid of Roy's involvement.

Envy smiled and walked into the hall, successfully pinning Ed against the wall. "I'm glad," he muttered next to the alchemist's ear, "I don't think I'd be too happy if you were cheating on me."

"What's there to cheat on?" Envy couldn't really think there was anything between them. It was just a game to him, wasn't it? Suddenly, Ed was more than a little concerned over Envy's vocal hesitation.

Kissing the blond fondly, Envy answered, "That hurts me, chibi-chan. And here I was thinking I was more than just a toy for you."

Ed frowned. "_You_? Yeah right. I can do better than you." Ok, so his plan was no longer going so well. Given, it wasn't in effect, all things considered. But then, it hadn't seemed to deter the homunculus any either.

"Fine," Envy snorted, stepping away from Ed, "If that's what you think, why don't you go find this 'better' individual?" The shape shifter had turned away, his near bare feet padding softly back towards the room. And there was that underlying fear again, this time accompanied by pain. What the hell?!

Then it hit him. Gerard had said this, hadn't he? Envy felt some sort of subconscious desire to have Ed all to himself. Thereby, the concept that Ed would be with anyone else frightened and hurt the homunculus on levels Envy probably didn't even understand. The idea made Ed blush. So Envy really _did_ want Ed; weird. But what was he supposed to do about it? It's not like he wanted anything to do with the psycho…did he?

Pausing in the doorway, Envy looked over his shoulder at the pondering blond. "Know this though, chibi-chan," he scorned, "No one will please you the way I do."

Ed blushed in spite of himself. "Sh-shut up!" Ed shot quickly, tripping over his words, "Y-you don't know that!"

"No? Well then, have fun missing me when you realize you're wrong."

There was that damned subtle pain again. Damn it! Why couldn't the shrink have been wrong?! Wait, why did it bother Ed so much? Why did he care if he hurt the homunculus? The bastard was his enemy, no matter how good the sex was. And, at least by the sounds of it, Envy seemed suitably deterred. So then…why was there a horrible twisting feeling in Ed's stomach?

Hating himself as the words left his mouth, Ed called, "Envy! Don't go yet."

"Why not, chibi-chan?" Envy scoffed, leaning his frighteningly tempting body heavily against the doorframe. "I thought you could do better."

Ed tried not to think about just how gorgeous Envy looked, regardless of the bored stare and slumped posture. Instead, he kept a mild frown on his face. "I can," the alchemist replied, "That doesn't mean I can't at least see this through to the end."

Sighing and rolling his head to one side, Envy snapped irritably, "What end? You won the game chibi-chan. What more do you want from me?"

The blond was caught off guard by Envy's callous statement. Not only had the homunculus admitted to the whole mess having been some kind of 'game', but he'd also made his pain much more evident. Ed hadn't known how much the whole thing was going to effect the other, and found himself oddly ashamed of what he'd done. Suddenly his mind was questioning just who the real villain was.

"What do you mean, 'I won the game'?" Ed pressed.

Seemingly getting more frustrated with every word the alchemist spoke, Envy looked around himself angrily. "What do you want me to say chibi-chan?" he demanded, "You won! You saw through it all and successfully messed with my head. You took my plan and threw it out the window, just like you have with every other angle I've ever taken with you! Sometimes I just…" But the homunculus didn't finish. Instead, with his free hand, Envy knocked a significant hole into the hotel wall, jarring the kitten awake. "I'm leaving," the shape shifter spat.

Ed went against his better judgment and caught Envy's arm. "That's it then?" the blond challenged, "You're just going to run away? Is that what you do? When things don't go your way, you run? It's no wonder I won."

"What are you implying, chibi-chan?" Envy hissed viciously, knocking Ed's hand away.

Staring the angered homunculus down, Ed retorted, "I didn't run from you Envy, and I never will. That's why you lose. Just because you showed an upper hand did not mean I was about to pack up and leave. Just because things weren't going the way I wanted them to didn't stop me from trying. But you? As soon as I turn the tides, you turn tail and run. You're just like a child."

Ed regretted his words almost as soon as they left his mouth. Envy's foot connected solidly with the smaller man's chin, knocking Ed backwards into the hall. Right…Envy was still Envy, regardless of the situation.

"Watch who you're calling a 'child', chibi-chan," the shape shifter snarled, "You're the one at _our_ mercy. If that person didn't want you so much, I'd have killed you by now."

The alchemist regained his footing quickly, having fought Envy before. "Don't lie to yourself," Ed shot fearlessly, "You're suffocating your own emotions, and the only result is self-inflicted pain!" Why was he so concerned with helping the bastard? Why did he feel the need to get this point across? Whatever it was, Ed knew he had to try, if only for self-preservation.

"Is everyone my fucking psychiatrist?!" Envy practically screamed. "I am so _sick_ of people telling me I have problems; that I'm 'suppressing emotions'. I am not hiding anything! I do not have a problem! And I do NOT WANT YOU!!"

Clearly frightened by the flaring tempers, the kitten leapt from Envy's arms and skittered away into the hotel room. The homunculus cursed, turning quickly to walk after the terrified animal. Why did he show so much concern for that thing? Why did he want it with him so much? Shaking his head, Ed followed after the two of them, still debating whether trying to calm Envy down was worth it.

The alchemist found Envy lying on the floor, looking under the bed. His face was a mask of frustration and exhaustion as he patted one hand gently against the carpet. The shape shifter's left foot rocked back and forth, apparently something Envy's body did in subconscious annoyance.

"Come on Chibi-chan," Envy grumbled, "I don't have time for this."

Ed heard an irritated 'meow' from beneath the fair sized piece of furniture. Clearly, the cat still felt put out, if not frightened of its owner. And, evidently, Envy didn't have the time to mess around; at least not the patience.

Getting to his feet, Envy spat angrily, "Fine! If you want to stay here so bad, you stay here. But I'm not coming back for you!" He then kicked the bed angrily and turned away, only to come face-to-face with Ed; which didn't seem to make things any better. "Did you still want something?" Envy demanded coldly.

"No," Ed muttered, "I guess not. After all, you've given up."

The homunculus walked up to Ed, standing just close enough to accentuate the height difference. Bastard. Staring down at the blond, Envy snarled, "I'm not giving up, chibi-chan. You just won _this_ round."

"And every round before it," the alchemist retorted defiantly.

Clearly, Envy didn't find the comment too amusing. The shape shifter took Ed's chin none too gently in his left hand, forcing the other to look him in the face. "I wouldn't get too cocky, chibi-chan. I could still take this one."

Ed knocked the other's hand away like an irritating insect. "Like hell you could," Ed snorted, "If you can't face the fact that you lost because you live in denial, then you'll never win. And it doesn't help that every time things start to look bad, you run." Smiling derisively, Ed added, "Just look at how well you handled the _kitten_."

Caught off guard by the alchemist's obvious verbal attack, Envy stammered pathetically. And, quite clearly, Envy didn't like not being able to say anything as he swiftly turned his back and moved to leave. However, Ed's words seemed to hit him for a second time as he stopped just as quickly, ensnared by the question posed to him.

"What's wrong?" Ed mocked, "Confused?"

The shape shifter's body tensed noticeably. Ed instinctively went on the defensive. An angry Envy hadn't exactly been what he'd been aiming for, but he'd take what he could get. If he could somehow get Envy to actually think about the shrink's words, to actually consider the idea of 'possessing' Ed as opposed to killing him, then maybe the alchemist would have one less homunculus to worry about. Then again, it could just lead to worse things, but a chance was a chance. And Envy was definitely the one Ed wanted to get rid of most.

Turning around to face the Fullmetal Alchemist once again, Envy snarled, "What do you _want_ chibi-chan? It's not like you to keep me so long."

"I want to talk to you," Ed replied calmly, not allowing his voice to betray the fear that was naturally creeping over him. Ok, it was official. An infatuated Envy was unquestionably preferable to an angry one. And so, Ed would have to talk the homunculus down.

Envy, however, didn't seem to be in the mood for a chat. "Talk fast chibi-chan," he growled threateningly, "I don't have all day to be here."

However, as Ed opened his mouth to speak, the door he had closed behind him exploded into slivered pieces of wood. Dust filled the small hallway and flooded quickly into the main area. Ed coughed heavily, his mind racing in an attempt to discern just what was going on. He heard Envy's voice call out something angrily, but the alchemist couldn't quite make out what was said. And then a heavy, blunt object hit him in the back of the head, sending Ed stumbling forward. His world swam in and out of focus until he finally lost his balance and fell hard to the floor.

Above him, he heard the homunculus cursing impatiently, clearly just as surprised as Ed. But the alchemist's mind was hazing, and he was rapidly losing the ability to pick the voice out at all. As his large eyes involuntarily began to close, he saw the terrified face of the kitten under the bed. Poor thing. It must have been so confused…and then he saw nothing. Ed had fallen unconscious.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Ed awoke slowly, his head pounding painfully. Where was he? What happened? Had Envy planned it all? No, the shape shifter had been just as confused as Ed had been, at least if his shouted curses had been any indication. Ed forced himself to focus, eyes finally managing to lose the fog that had annoyingly clouded them.

The alchemist was restrained quite effectively, his arms tied around behind him, his ankles shackled together. Yet the room he was in looked nothing like a prison, or even a holding cell. In fact, it looked almost like an unused bedroom, the only source of illumination being a faint oil lamp flickering on a dusty nightstand. What the hell was going on?! Just who had kidnapped him, and why? And had Envy been kidnapped as well?

Then the door to the blonde's far left creaked open, a figure stepping through. Unfortunately, the light was near Ed, throwing their end of the room in heavy shadow. It didn't help that they'd cloaked themselves either. Damn intelligent kidnappers.

"So, you're awake," a soft voice noted, "Good. I didn't hit you too hard." And with those short, bizarre, words, the person took their leave, Ed stammering after them.

Cursing his inability to even get a coherent sentence formed, Ed sighed heavily. Ok, so whoever it was wanted him alive. Good enough. Now, what had Envy said? Something about a person wanting Ed alive, and hence, not allowing Envy to kill him. Was that who this was? Then why had Envy been so upset?

As if on cue, the very homunculus Ed was pondering over walked into the room, looking none too happy. "Hey chibi-chan," he sneered, "Still alive I see. And still half dressed."

"What's going on?" Ed demanded shortly, trying not to blush at Envy's unwanted attention. "Where am I?"

Envy snorted uninterestedly. "Like I'd tell you," the homunculus mocked.

The alchemist frowned. The jerk had found his confidence again; wonderful. Fine, Ed would just have to play up the shape shifter's temper again. Shrugging offhandedly, Ed replied, "Oh well. I didn't expect you to know."

"Nice try, chibi-chan," Envy replied coldly, "But I'm not biting. You're not here for me." A sadistic smile spread across the shape shifter's pretty face, striking a chill of fear throughout Ed's body. "No; you're here for someone with much more…_interesting_ things in mind."

Shuddering in spite of himself at the implications, Ed tried to stay calm. "Then why are you here?" Ed snapped.

The homunculus' dark smile remained, successfully keeping Ed on edge. "I'm just taking a mental 'before' picture for later comparison." Envy then laughed forebodingly, turned on his bare heel, and left the room.

Ed's breath had hitched in his throat, not entirely sure of what to make of his situation. Clearly, Envy knew something he didn't, which generally wasn't a good thing. But underneath all those ulterior and enigmatic threats was something mirroring disdain; as if the shape shifter wasn't happy with the development either. Perhaps _that_ was the angle to play. Not that that would be easy, as Envy had adamantly denied the psychiatrist's suggestions. He'd have to play to the subconscious Envy. …Great.

Leaning his restrained body back against the wall he was nearest to, Ed fumed inwardly. Because he hadn't let the damn homunculus leave, because something in him felt _bad_ about letting Envy leave with wounded emotions, he'd gotten himself kidnapped. On a much more comforting thought, Al was still in Resembool; the alchemist's younger brother not due back for another couple of days. At least Ed could assure himself that Al was ok. His own safety, he couldn't be too sure about.

However, Ed's straying, paranoid, thoughts were forced to a halt as a familiar 'meow' caught his attention. Out from under the large, dusty bed on the opposite side of the room crawled the kitten, looking just as frightened as Ed felt. Apparently, it had been thrown in along with the alchemist.

"Hey there," Ed smiled softly, "You're trapped in here too, huh?"

The kitten was clearly calmed by Ed's friendly tone of voice, as it looked significantly happier and trotted over to the blonde's side. Giving another soft 'meow', it nuzzled against Ed's body.

All Ed could do was smile, wishing he could at least pat the creature. "Looks like we're roommates," Ed sighed, turning his eyes back to the door, "And who knows when we'll be able to leave…"

Jumping into Ed's lap, the cat seemed no less thrilled to be with him even with the lack of petting. In fact, the animal seemed like any human contact at all made it happy. The thought was almost sad. At least it didn't tolerate abuse; Ed knew that much from the morning's earlier events.

Then it hit him. Just what time _was_ it? How long had he been out, had he been gone? Had it been long enough to cause a stir? Was Roy out looking for him? Was _anyone_ looking for him? Ed's heart sank as he realized that, even if they were looking, no one would find him. Wherever he was, Envy knew where it was, meaning it was a place the homunculi knew of. And those were difficult to find for anyone who wasn't a homunculus. Which meant his escape was dependant entirely on his own skills.

"Kitty?" Ed asked the furry ball in his lap, "Are you awake?" The alchemist didn't care how crazy he sounded, talking to an animal. It was his only resource.

The kitten looked up at Ed expectantly, as if it needed a decent reason for being bothered. Weird; did it really understand him?

Giving in to the idea that the creature on his lap was possibly more intelligent than he'd first anticipated, Ed continued, "I need you're help. Envy seems fond of you, so I need you to go over to the door and try to get his attention. Do you understand?"

Mewing softly, the cat stood up in Ed's lap and stretched languidly. It then hopped soundlessly to the floor and padded softly across the room. As it reached the door, it glanced back at Ed, as if to check if it was doing the right thing.

"Yes, that's it," Ed nodded, "Now get Envy's attention. He _must_ still be around." Well, that was a long shot, but Ed had to hope. After all, what did he have to lose?

The kitten turned back to the door and began pawing at it, mewing incessantly. Wow, it really had known what the alchemist had wanted. Why had Envy found something so smart just roaming the streets? How had it even managed to get so intelligent? It was still only a kitten, wasn't it?

Outside the door, Ed heard someone curse and walk off, their clacking footsteps growing fainter. But the sound most definitely did _not_ belong to Envy, not unless he was wearing heels. Wait, heels?! The realization hit Ed hard. Envy was almost always working with Lust, and she wore those disturbingly high heels. So Envy _had_ been planning the whole thing! That bastard! Well, Ed would give _him _a piece of his mind.

What seemed like forever dragged by as Ed held his breath. Was Lust going to Envy, or simply walking away? Had someone replaced her? Why was it so damn quiet?! Could no one hear the cat?

Just then, the door swung open irritably, the kitten falling forward and between the legs of the entrant; the frighteningly attractive bare legs. Envy swooped down and picked the animal up by the back of its neck, staring it in the face.

"Chibi-chan," he sighed, "Why do you have to keep making a pest of yourself?"

Ed coughed loudly. There was no way he was just going to let Envy walk away this time. He needed answers, no matter what he was going to have to do to get them.

The homunculus looked over dispassionately, eyeing Ed over once. "I'm busy," Envy said flatly, "Do you mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Ed shot back.

Envy shrugged and looked back at the cat. "And I'm supposed to care…why?"

Frowning, the alchemist racked his brain. Envy was distant suddenly, which was definitely not a good thing. Something had happened between his last visit and this one. Ed had to push the right buttons if he was going to get anywhere.

"Envy?" the blond quipped, "Why did you name the cat the same thing you named me?"

Faint tension struck the shape shifter's body, only marginally noticeable in the tensing of his leg and arm muscles. But Ed had learned to pick up on those little things. "I didn't name it after you," Envy answered coldly.

Ed tilted his head in feigned ignorance. "No? Then who's 'Chibi-chan'?"

"Look, I don't have time for your crap," Envy snorted, tucking the kitten into the crook of his arm and muttering something to it under his breath. "You sit tight, ok Ed?"

Taken slightly aback, the alchemist called out before Envy could leave, "You called me 'Ed'."

Sighing heavily, Envy turned around reluctantly. "Yeah? What of it?" he asked listlessly.

"Well…you've never called me by my name," Ed replied, as if it was obvious. Why was Envy so weird? Just what had happened? And why did Ed care?!

The homunculus shrugged with that offhanded air once again. "It's been a long day, _chibi-chan_. I'm tired." A faint smile then crept across Envy's pretty face. "Happy now?"

"I suppose," Ed muttered, "I just want to know who you're handing me off to."

"I'm sorry?"

Oh, that hit a nerve. Ed saw it in the momentary flash of anger that passed over Envy's violet eyes, in the sudden attentiveness in the homunculus' posture. Finally, a reaction worth noting.

Ed continued easily, as if they were discussing the weather. "You know, the one you're working for. I mean, obviously the whole shrink thing was just an act, and,_ obviously_, you're just working for someone. That's the only reason you played up the 'wanting' me angle, right?"

"I told you already; _I don't want you_," Envy retaliated, "How many times to I have to repeat myself?"

Shaking his head, Ed dismissed the venomous tone. "Oh, I get that," he said calmly, "I wasn't saying you did. I'm just saying that you're simply giving me away to someone else, right? That's why I'm here. You're just another pawn in the big scheme of things. And someone used you to capture me, the opposing king. It makes sense."

Envy walked the span of the room briskly to stand imposingly above Ed. Wow…Envy really did have _nice_ legs.

"Listen closely, chibi-chan," the homunculus snarled threateningly, "You treat me like someone's 'pawn' again, and I'll rip your eyes out. You understand? And another thing, I'm not handing you off; not yet. I'm not done playing with you. There's just another person who needs to use you for the time being."

The alchemist shivered internally at the suggestion. _Playing_? That was certainly a gentle way of putting it. But Ed couldn't give in yet. He hadn't really learned anything yet.

Ed shrugged defiantly. "It sure doesn't look that way to me. As far as I can tell, you're quite finished, whether you chose to be or not." Clearly, insisting that Envy was losing Ed to someone else was working, and so that was the edge the alchemist decided to use.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Envy growled, obviously forcing patience, "This whole thing is much bigger than you or I."

"Excuses."

That had done it. Ed's insistent defiance and provoking had snapped the last thread Envy had managed to hold in place. Luckily, the homunculus didn't have that many to begin with.

Kneeling down and grabbing Ed by his loose blond hair, Envy forced the other man to meet his eyes. "Get this straight, chibi-chan. You are mine and no one else's. You belong to me, and I…" And then he stopped. The shape shifter's face paled momentarily, the malice intent wavering in his otherwise focused violet eyes. Apparently, he hadn't meant to say any of what he'd just said. And now, Ed had his angle.

To Be Continued...


	11. Chapter 11

_WOOT! Tis chapter 11. It took me far too long to write this; and for those of you who have been waiting, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. But if you could have seen me, you'd know that I have been working as hard as any human being to type this. My poor family had to put up with my whining about the lack of chapter 11-ness. My sister insisted that I was just making it harder for myself. My brother offered to finish it. BUT I REFUSED!! And I fought hard and I typed hard and I didn't sleep and now it's done. So here we go. I _really_ hope I get somehwere with this soon..._

_PS: For all those times that I've said 'This chapter was the hardest', none of them compare to chapter 11. Nope. Not even close. This was like walking the fires of Hell to finish. _

---

Shit…that hadn't come out right. In fact, it had come out in such a way that shocked the speaker. Envy hadn't even thought of putting any of the words he'd just spoken together, and now? Well, now he was screwed. Chibi-chan had that damned 'planning' gleam in his large eyes, no doubt trying to build up on the foundation Envy had so generously put down for him. And so, it was time for Envy to leave. He wasn't supposed to be in the room originally anyway.

Standing up and trying to retain some sense of calm, Envy turned to walk away, tossing over his shoulder, "I have to go, chibi-chan. Better things to do."

"So this is ok by you; giving me away? I could have sworn you seemed opposed to it just a second ago."

Damn it all! Why did Ed have to be so fucking persistent?! And why did Envy keep paying attention to him? "_It's because I'm defying Dante_," he told himself, "_That's the only reason I keep going back. She doesn't want me here, so I take the chances I can to be here…works for me_."

The homunculus pivoted and tilted his head, meeting the alchemist's fixed stare. "I'm not giving you away, chibi," Envy purred, "I'm merely lending you out." Best to freak the boy out and take back the upper hand. He couldn't let chibi-chan play up his stupid verbal slip.

"Lending?" Ed inquired with an audacious raise of his eyebrows, "This sounds a lot bigger than that. And it sounds like you're trying to cover a Freudian Slip."

Stupid fucking chibi and his goddamned intelligence. Envy couldn't even think of a half decent shot back. And so he snorted incoherently, turned his back, and took his leave, slamming the door behind him. That would show the stuck up little brat, talking to Envy like that. But now he had a new Chibi-chan to worry about. Where was he going to put the kitten? 

"Envy?" Dante's voice queried from the end of the hall, "Why did you take so long to recover the kitten?"

Envy frowned. Interrogation time; great… "Our hostage decided to get chatty," the shape shifter responded with an indifferent shrug, "I just humored him."

She didn't seem amused. "Did I not tell you that you were _not_ to speak to Edward Elric?" Oh, she was edgy. Not good. Envy had even less room than usual to work with.

"My apologies," Envy bowed submissively, "It was a foolish mistake on my part."

"You're damn right it was!" Great. She wasn't feeling particularly forgiving either. In fact, Dante seemed angrier than she had the right to be about the whole mess. Just what was going on? But she continued angrily, not giving Envy's mind the time to ponder. "You are not to go near this room again. Lust will be on watch duty here, and she _will_ report back to me if you try anything."

This was getting weird. It must have had something to do with what he'd overheard earlier. Lust and Dante had been plotting, and clearly, keeping him from Ed had something to do with it. But what? And just what were the specifics of it all? Envy had to figure it out, no matter how much effort it was going to take to do so. However, for the moment, he had to play the obedient homunculus he was supposed to be.

"I understand," he nodded, "I won't go against you again."

Dante huffed irritably, muttering, "I can only hope. You seem to be making it a habit." Then she waved him off, dismissing him from her presence.

Giving one final bow, Envy walked away, supposedly towards his room. But from the corner of his eye, he watched as Dante remained by chibi-chan's door, clearly waiting for someone. Perhaps she and Lust were going to have another one of their little get-togethers. He'd have to be fast if he wanted to catch it all this time…or at least, if he was going to catch anything helpful. All he knew for sure at the moment was that they thought the kitten was his subconscious acting out some bizarre desire to possess chibi-chan and that he was some kind of 'threat' to the 'master plan'. Great. Did _no one_ say anything positive about him behind his back?

Regardless, Envy darted off down the hall, making short time to his room. Tossing the kitten in, he told it, "Do not go anywhere. Nor do you make a sound, got it?"

It sat down on the cold floor and stared silently up at him. What the hell was with this thing anyway? Did intelligence just run with the name 'chibi-chan'? But Envy didn't have time to think over something so trivial. He had information to gather.

And so, the homunculus made his way silently back towards his chibi's 'room'. As he went to round the corner, however, he heard Dante and Lust speaking in hushed tones. Shit; he couldn't tell what they were saying. But how was he supposed to get closer? The hallway was straight aside from the one corner he was currently hiding behind. If he were to just walk out, both women would see him, and no doubt painful consequences would ensue. It was a damn good thing he was a shape shifter, and an even better thing that he'd taken in a chronically appearing kitten. True, animals weren't his specialty, but he'd have to do what was necessary.

Envy felt his body twist itself and shrink appropriately, his green hair becoming black and crawling across his newly shaped body. As the transformation completed itself, Envy blinked his large green eyes and flicked his long tail experimentally. So far so good. Now to hope that Dante and Lust had grown to accept the kitten's presence.

Softly padding down the hall towards the conversing women, Envy adored just how quietly a cat could move. No wonder people associated him with the animal.

"…can't let him near this room, understand?" Dante hissed, apparently repeating herself.

Lust nodded her patient understanding, replying, "I understood that the first time, Dante. But the problem still remains that you had me bring Fullmetal _here_."

The violet haired 'master of the homunculi' rolled her eyes. "Lust, I brought Edward _here_ so _I _could monitor him. Now I can be sure of where Envy is in respect to 'our' alchemist and minimize the possible threats. With both of them out of my reach, it's just a disaster waiting to happen."

"How can you be sure of that?" Lust queried persistently, "Perhaps what Envy's doing isn't destructive at all. Perhaps it's beneficial. As neither of us actually know just what the two of them are up to - not that I necessarily _want_ to know - we can't be sure of how much damage Envy is actually causing."

Envy bit back his every urge to shift back and chew the bitches out. Just what gave them the right to talk about him like this; and not even to his face!! And judging by the glances he got from both of them, both women had noted the animal's presence. Clearly, Dante was going to do something about its being there as well.

"Lust, do something with that. Obviously, Envy can't keep a hold of it."

Well…this wasn't going to end well. Unless they truly found it beneficial for Envy to own Chibi-chan. All the shape shifter could do was hope for that end. Should Lust decide to kill the interfering animal, Envy would be forced to take his own form back, and that would be much worse than any other option.

Staring quite boldly at their 'master', Lust asked, "Just what do you want me to do with it?"

Dante knelt down and stared the kitten in the face. Envy had to hold back the urge to claw her eyes out. "This seems to keep Envy fairly placated in regards to Fullmetal. Let's keep it alive…for now. Put it back in Edward's holding cell."

The darker haired woman leant over and lifted the small animal none too gently by the scruff of its neck. Envy flinched slightly. Is that what he'd been doing to Chibi-chan? Ouch; he'd been under the impression that cats didn't have any nerves there, or at least it hurt less than other places. So much for that assumption. But the pain was short-lived as Lust apparently didn't want to be in contact with a filthy animal for longer than she had to and she threw him carelessly into the darkened room. Envy didn't even land it very well, having been caught off guard by the almost callous toss.

"Back again?" the shape shifter heard Ed ask.

Looking over his furry shoulder, Envy looked at the faintly smiling alchemist. So much for Lust keeping Envy from chibi-chan. Not that it was her fault. Dante had asked for it. But the blonde was not what Envy was there for. Maybe later. And so the homunculus settled on ignoring the other person in the room and padding quietly over to the door.

But Ed couldn't take a hint. "I thought Envy picked you up already?" he pressed, obviously in need of contact of any sort. "Did something happen?"

Once again, Envy glanced back at the alchemist, not sure quite how to tell the boy to shut up. For Christ's sake, could no one leave him alone?! It's not like he could turn back and give Ed the 'what for'; the little bastard would just freak and blow Envy's cover. All the homunculus could do was continue to ignore him and listen to the door.

Just beyond, his feline ears once again picked up Lust and Dante's conversation. "I don't understand how you can think any of beneficial," Dante snorted, "He's beyond obsessive."

"Do we even know why?" Lust's smooth voice questioned logically.

The other woman involved apparently didn't like being outsmarted as she shot back angrily, "What does it matter?! He's getting in the way!!"

"You still don't have any proof of that."

Dante's voice had hit the pitch that generally signaled for the homunculi to shut up and take whatever she felt like dishing out. Well, most of the homunculi. Lust and Envy had an awful tendency to ignore the warning. "I don't need any fucking proof!! He's named a god damn kitten after Ed!! HE NICKNAMED THE ALCHEMIST!!"

Lust remained calm, replying, "So? He uses the nickname because of the anger it causes Fullmetal. As far as I can tell, Envy's doing everything he does because he wants to _hurt_ Edward."

Finally, someone got it. Leave it to Lust to put the figures together. Given, she hadn't thought so highly of him in the _last _conversation Envy had overheard, but clearly her common sense had kicked in. Dante's on the other hand…it was questionable if she even ever had any.

"Oh? Is that why you found the two of them rooming together? Or why Envy stayed _in _Central Headquarters with him? _Or why the animal he NAMED after Ed is still alive?!_" Huh…she was really upset about all this. She must have really believed Envy was out to spite her plan.

Lust remained placid. Clearly she had learned - like many others - that shouting back got you nowhere when arguing with Dante. "Envy has a twisted mind; _you_, of all people, should know that. His ways of hurting people often have to do with their emotions; with tortures that can't be healed. I'm sure he _does _want to inflict horrid _physical_ pain on Fullmetal, but perhaps he's taking a different angle."

The 'master's' voice was not but a low growl now, her anger clearly rising to a point where innocent lives could be taken without the batting of an eyelash. "You, _Lust_, should watch your tongue. No one has the right to speak to me in such a tone. As for knowing Envy, I know him_ far_ better than you will ever know him, and therefore know that he's getting in over his head. He's _never_ acted like this, _never_ defied my wishes so frequently. If he has some sort of 'new tactic' he knows damn well he should have told me. The fact that he's acting out on his own is proof enough to me that there's something _wrong_ with this obsession of his."

What the fucking hell was Dante rambling about?! He wasn't some sort of mindless doll!! He didn't wait for her 'permission' to do anything!! He wasn't her god damn lap dog!! The homunculus could feel the hairs across his back raising with his anger, his tail puffing out. Damn animals and their physical expressive tendencies.

"Hey, kitty, are you alright?"

Leave it to chibi-chan to worry about an angered cat. And, as tempting as it was to seek comfort from _anyone_ at the time being, both Envy's dignity and common sense told him otherwise. If there was more to hear, then he would hear it. That…and seeking comfort from chibi-chan was just a stomach turning idea. And so the shape shifter calmed his frazzled nerves and settled on listening again. Hopefully, ignoring Ed would work just as well as it had the first time.

"So what you're saying," Lust was arguing evenly, "Is that this is the first time in _four hundred years_ that Envy has acted out on his own?"

Dante huffed indignantly. "In regards to our ultimate goal, yes. When there wasn't work to do I let him do what he wanted; which usually consisted of destroying human relationships, diseasing entire villages, and mercilessly killing any who bothered him, often in the guise of someone else. He never tried something like he's trying now."

"And just what is he trying now?" Lust had posed the same question she'd asked earlier, knowing full well that neither of them had the answer to it. But…wait. Why was Lust suddenly on his side? She had been in full agreement with Dante the last time Envy had overheard them. What changed her mind?

Something in the hall was smashed without discretion. Yeah, Dante was losing. "That's not important!" she shrieked, "The fact of the matter is that he's acting out _against_ me! It may just be time for a new 'Envy'."

Lust's voice remained level and tempered as she countered, "You know you don't mean that. He's too much of an asset, regardless of his actions right now. You won't find another one quite as twisted and willing to viciously hurt innocent people. And we both know that human transmutations are occurring less frequently. You wouldn't get another one for quite some time."

"I don't give a shit!" Dante was still angry; she probably would be for at least the rest of the day. "He's interfering with Fullmetal, the alchemist _I_ specifically chose for our goals!! He knows that!"

"So what are you suggesting we do? Kill him?"

Dante didn't reply for some time, clearly pondering the question. She _did_ have the power to kill him if she so desired, the fact that usually kept Envy in check. Not to mention the fact that they had Wrath now too. But the question remained; _would_ she kill Envy?

Slowly, and with a much calmer demeanor, Dante answered, "No. Until the Philosopher's Stone is complete, let's just keep him from Fullmetal. I'll post him somewhere to keep him away from here, but until I have a reason to, I want you to try and find out _why_ he's doing what he's doing, and just _what_ it is he's doing."

"And report it back to you," Lust finished, stating what was no doubt intended to be redundant. "Fine. But I want you to understand something. I will no longer be part of this mess if it's something I agree with."

The venomous anger had returned to Dante's voice, the underlying threats ringing quite clearly. "If you value your existence and your chance at humanity, you won't agree with it." With that, Dante could be heard walking away, her footsteps growing fainter with her distance. Apparently, the conversation was over.

Falling back on his haunches, Envy stared at the door before him, mind racing to put it all together. So Dante was going to post him somewhere later in order to keep him away from chibi-chan. Clever woman. And in the meantime Lust was supposed to interrogate and discover the inner workings of Envy's mind. Good luck to her. However, if Lust chose to begin her questioning _now_, he was screwed. No doubt she'd head to his room - where he should be - , let herself in, and find the real kitten. In which case, she'd know the one she'd thrown in with Ed was Envy, a meeting she was supposed to be preventing. Therefore, if she chose to leave - which would be quite easily audible - he would leave as well.

From behind the homunculus, Ed sneezed. Envy glanced back. Right, poor chibi-chan was still only half-dressed and chained up in an oddly cold room. The shape shifter got to his little kitty feet and wandered over to the alchemist's side, staring up at him. As usual, chibi-chan looked quite tempting, the idea of getting revenge for his own bondage humiliation proving almost more than the homunculus could handle. After all, what would Ed be able to do to stop him?

"They seemed pretty angry out there, didn't they?" Ed smiled at the kitten. "And you were catching every word."

Weird. Did chibi-chan often talk to animals? That was a bizarre habit Envy was not aware of. Apparently, one could learn quite a bit about another if one posed as an animal. Not that many people could actually accomplish such a thing.

Sighing heavily, chibi-chan leaned against the wall behind him, staring at the ceiling. "So what do you think?" he appealed, again to what he thought was an animal, "Was Envy just leading me up to this point, or did he mean it when he said that 'I was his'?"

Oh, how Envy wanted to answer. The idea of setting at least _one_ person straight on the whole matter was almost too enticing to deny. But he wouldn't blow his cover, not yet. And so he simply hopped nimbly into Ed's lap, not quite sure why, but realizing now why the kitten had slept against his stomach the first night. It was comfy.

The alchemist smiled down at the 'cat'. "My brother would love you," he muttered, "Al was always trying to talk me into letting him have a cat. I've always wanted to…but it's just not safe, you know? I mean, maybe with Envy you feel some sort of comfort - not that I understand how - but it's not safe here either. _He_ may want to keep you - again, I don't know why - but the others probably won't be so accepting." Ed laughed softly. "Gluttony will probably just eat you."

Envy was slightly surprised to find just how much chibi-chan cared for the animal's safety. The adorable little alchemist actually gave a damn; how interesting. More interesting, however, was just how delicious Ed's exposed skin looked so close up. Given, Envy had been in the same proximity before, but never quite as acceptingly from the other person involved. Ed, reasonably so, was perfectly calm with a kitten resting against his bare stomach, and this calm demeanor was quite a bit different from the almost panicked and sometimes hormonally driven one Envy had grown used to.

And so, without thinking, Envy licked at Ed's firm stomach with his small cat's tongue. The alchemist tensed slightly, but sighed when he remembered it was just a cat; at least to his knowledge.

"Are you hungry kitty?" chibi-chan asked good-naturedly.

Oh, he was hungry alright. But for something much different than the alchemist had in mind. Envy couldn't quite place the _reason_ he suddenly needed chibi-chan, but being in the room with him, so close to his bare chest, and spiting Dante and Lust's perfect little plan, drove Envy's desire up the wall.

Without further hesitation, Envy continued to lick ardently at the alchemist's stomach, pawing his way up Ed's torso to get a better reaction.

Laughing at the clearly ticklish properties of the kitten's tongue, chibi-chan squirmed slightly. "H-hey," he chuckled, "Knock it off! Th-that tickles!!" But as Envy's small tongue hit the lower portion of the automail connection, Ed gasped sharply. "Ah! Envy…" the blond breathed.

The shape shifter stopped, sitting back down in chibi-chan's lap. Shit! How had Ed figured him out! Damn his fucking desire; Envy had blown his own cover. But that apparently wasn't the case.

"I-I'm sorry," Ed muttered to the 'cat', "You just…never mind." Chibi-chan scoffed and his face was flushed. Ok…so Ed had just called the homunculus' name because…? Great; now he was confused.

Envy tilted his head and fixed his large green eyes on Ed's averted face. On the positive side, chibi-chan was still clueless as to Envy's disguise. On the flip side, Envy was more confused than he had been in a very long time. Why had Ed…? Unless…

Hopping down from the blonde's lap, Envy turned his ear's attention to the door once again. He could hear Lust's shuffling as she moved her weight from one foot to the other. She never had liked stationary jobs. But at least she was still there. Once again focusing on his chibi, Envy decided to get some answers and to set things straight.

While the alchemist's eyes were still turned away, Envy shifted back to his preferred appearance, the brilliant white glow catching Ed's attention. And before chibi-chan could say anything, Envy had covered the younger man's mouth with one of his gloved hands.

"Shh, chibi-chan," Envy hissed under his breath, "I just came to talk to you."

Jerking his head away from Envy's hand, Ed spat back, "Bullshit! You were eavesdropping."

"True, but I never intended to wind up in here," the homunculus retorted. Both men were more than a little irritated, but both were also smart enough to keep their voices down. The less trouble, the better for both of them.

Chibi-chan snorted disbelievingly. "Oh really," he nodded derisively, "And I assume it was just an 'accident' that you wound up on my _lap_?!"

Crouching down to meet his chibi's furious golden stare, Envy sneered, "You liked it; especially now that you know it was me."

Ed blushed and looked away again. But Envy could see that the boy's heart rate had increased, that chibi-chan was breathing just a bit heavier than usual. Hm…looks like _someone_ got worked up when Envy was around.

"Tell me something," the shape shifter purred, taking Ed's chin in his left hand and forcing the blond to look at him, "Why did you call my name?"

Stammering slightly, chibi-chan managed, "I-I knew it was you…"

"No you didn't. I can tell by the way you reacted when you found _out_ it was me." Envy was taking too much pleasure in Ed's discomfort, and he knew it. But he needed to get answers and he'd never been one to ask nicely.

The blond shook his head adamantly. "It's none of your business, ok? Now let go of my face!" Aww, poor chibi-chan was flustered. Envy was winning.

"I think it's my business," the homunculus whispered into Ed's ear, "It was my name."

Chibi-chan shuddered as Envy's breath brushed against his face, his ear was bright red in embarrassment. But he refused to answer. As uncomfortable and awkward as the boy felt, he still wasn't going to relent or give in. How very interesting. So Envy would have to make it worth chibi-chan's while.

Sitting back but maintaining his hold on the other's face, Envy offered, "If you answer my question, I'll answer one of yours."

"You wouldn't tell me the truth," the alchemist muttered, trying to keep his eyes averted if not his face.

Envy shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps. Depends on the question." The shape shifter then smiled warmly, adding, "But, if you ask a question I'd lie to you about, I just won't answer it at all."

The younger man stared at Envy dubiously, obviously weighing out his options. Why was he so damn reluctant to answer Envy's question anyways? It couldn't have been that big of a deal, could it?

Finally, Ed sighed in resignation. "Fine," he answered offhandedly, "I'll answer your question."

"Brilliant," Envy beamed cynically, "So then, why?"

His face lighting up to a new shade of red, Ed mumbled quickly, "Youretheonlyonewhoseverdoneanythinglikethattome."

Envy blinked several times, tilting his head to the side in mild confusion. "Uh…yeah. How about at a pace I could understand it at now?"

"No!" chibi-chan rejoined, "I gave you your answer, now you have to give me mine!"

"It's not fair if I can't understand the answer, chibi-chan," Envy pointed out 'matter-of-factly'.

Refusing to elaborate on his response, Ed continued arguing. "You never said that! You just said I had to answer your question and I did."

The homunculus shook his head. "Fine," Envy shrugged, "If that's the way you want to play this, then I don't have to answer your question understandably either."

"What?! That's not fair!"

"How isn't it?" Envy demanded, "You said so yourself; all I wanted was an answer. That's also all I promised you. Therefore, if you aren't going to give me a decent answer, I don't have to give you one either. That's actually the most fair I've ever played in my life." Envy never could understand why humans thought that, just because they copped out, no one else was allowed to. It was as if hypocrisy was part of their genetic makeup or something.

Chibi-chan stammered and tripped all over his words trying to put some sort of rebuttal together, but apparently failing. Once again, the young man's eyes fell and he stared at the far wall of the room. "Ok, fine. But you promise that if I answer…reasonably, you will too?"

"Yes, chibi-chan, I promise."

Clearly, whatever that jumbled answer had been was consuming enough to keep the chibi from noticing Envy's mocking nickname. That just made it all the more interesting. Taking a deep breath, chibi-chan forced himself to repeat his answer, this time slow enough to make out what was being said, his face deepening a shade. "I said, I called your name because…you're the only one who's ever done anything like that to me."

Envy smiled and nodded. "Ah, that makes sense." Good. It was just the fact that Envy had been Ed's first - and probably only - sexually active 'partner'. "Now then, what would you like to ask me?"

Ed frowned at Envy's forced politeness and he made it known that he didn't appreciate it. "Drop the act, I know you're a prick."

"Ouch, chibi-chan," Envy sneered, "I never knew you thought that way of me."

"Whatever." Chibi-chan's face darkened slightly with concentration, clearly debating with himself just what to ask the homunculus. Not that it really mattered. Envy had already said that if he didn't like the question he wasn't even going to answer it. So really, Ed was just wasting time.

Slowly, the alchemist met Envy's eyes once again, and asked, "Alright. I want to know just why you feel I belong to you."

Envy was caught off guard by the question. He'd been expecting an interrogation about the 'master' or where they were or even what they had planned for him. But no, the chibi had asked a personal question. Envy could feel the heat on his face and hated himself for it. Since when did _he_ blush?! Stupid chibi.

"I'm not answering that one," Envy snorted indignantly.

Chibi-chan frowned deeply. "Why not? It's not that big a deal, is it?"

Standing up, the homunculus stared down at the restrained blond. "Because," he replied, "I don't like talking about me. Try again."

"No," Ed retorted flatly, "I'm not changing my question."

"Then you're not getting an answer." Was the boy deaf? Envy had reserved the right to refuse an answer, hadn't he? What about that didn't chibi-chan understand?

Shuffling slightly against the wall, the alchemist said, "I think you're cheating."

Envy raised a cynical eyebrow. "Is that so?" he returned, "And just how am I doing that?"

"Well I could have asked you anything. But I didn't. Where you asked _me_ something personal, I'm doing the same. It's equivalent exchange." How could he justify himself like that? Alchemy's little rule didn't apply to the rest of the goddamned world, especially not to the homunculi.

Continuing to look down at the other man, Envy responded, "No. Equivalent exchange has nothing to do with this. This is an exchange of answers, not materials. Understand that your silly little rules of alchemy don't apply to everything."

"You don't know the answer…do you?"

Envy stumbled. What? Chibi-chan was accusing _him_ of not knowing an answer. The stupid little prick. No! The alchemist was just playing Envy's temper. It was some sort of sick manipulation tactic. But when the shape shifter met Ed's stare, he didn't see the underlying mockery or mirth; he saw concern.

Snorting and kicking Ed over, Envy shot back, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The blond squirmed momentarily, struggling to get himself upright once again without the use of his arms or legs. After several seconds of this, Envy took pity on the boy - something he knew he'd hate himself later for - and used his foot to pull chibi-chan upwards again.

"Envy, admit it," Ed insisted, "_You_ don't even know why you think I'm yours."

Well, at least this conversation had killed that crazed desire Envy had felt earlier. Definitely a good thing seeing how vulnerable chibi-chan looked, especially standing above him the way he was.

"Listen chibi-chan," Envy snarled threateningly, "I know damn well why you belong to me, but _you_ don't need to know."

"What's it going to change?" the alchemist continued. Damn he was persistent.

However, chibi-chan had a point. Whether he knew or not really didn't affect anything. In fact, it could very well act to Envy's advantage. But then, Ed was nothing if not clever, and could probably think of a way to turn it all around on Envy in a flash. Two possible outcomes, both on opposite sides of the scale. Shit.

"Come now chibi-chan," Envy purred, ignoring the blatant death glare he got for continuing to use the nickname, "Isn't there something better you'd like to ask; something that would be…oh, I don't know, beneficial?"

Ed shook his head insistently. "Nope, sorry," he smiled defiantly, "That's the only question I've got for you."

Scoffing angrily, Envy walked away from the alchemist, paced about for a bit, turned to stare angrily at the smug looking boy, went back to pacing, and then finally went back to standing imposingly above the other. "You really want to know?" the shape shifter snarled vituperatively, "Fine; I'll tell you. You belong to me because of all the shit your family's ever done to me. I have reserved the right to torture you myself; to put you through the pain and suffering I've been forced to endure for the past _four hundred years_ of my life. I want you to understand just how much your family has hurt me, and I want to give it all back to you tenfold. _That_ is why you belong to me and no one else. Because I will _not_ allow you to suffer at the hands of anyone but myself."

Staring up disbelievingly at the shape shifter, chibi-chan's face gave no indication of fear nor hatred. If anything, his large golden eyes held sorrow and pity. "Envy, I…"

"Shut up," Envy spat, "I don't need any pity from you. All I need is to see you writhing in pain I inflict, is to see you cringe at the very mention of my name, is to _know_ that I've hurt you beyond anything you can ever recover from."

The Fullmetal Alchemist looked hurt. "So this really was all a game to you," he muttered, "All of it was just some twisted way to get your revenge on someone else through me."

Envy had never heard it put like that. Not that he cared. It wouldn't deter him any. Ed was the 'model son', the child that bastard had always wanted. Chibi-chan had everything Envy had ever wanted; a family, a home to return to, friends, _humanity_. But Envy had been cruelly robbed of it all by the man who had claimed to be his 'father'. A 'father' who ran out on his son, who used his child as some sort of experiment. And when that experiment didn't come out the way he'd wanted it to, he ran, deserting his child and replacing it with another. Envy was not going to take that; he would not just lay around and feel sorry for himself. He would lash out and destroy everything that man cared for, created, and replaced Envy with. That was that. Chibi-chan just happened to be the best way to carry that plan out, even if Dante insisted that he be kept alive.

"Listen chibi-chan," Envy said calmly, crouching down once again, "You are the very image of all the pain and suffering I've been forced to go through. If my master did not _specifically_ request that you be kept alive, you wouldn't be anymore. Do you understand that?"

The younger man nodded shortly, but refused to let it lie. "Why do you feel the need to strike out like this Envy? You're not even attacking the source of your problem. What if you get rid of me? Then what? The person who hurt you, they're still around aren't they? Your pain wouldn't be over; not even close. And it never will be if you cling to it like this."

Envy stared at chibi-chan in mild shock. Where had he learned to say things like this? When had he become so intelligent? Humans were stupid creatures, weren't they? They were foolish and impulsive and irrational. So then…why? Why was this _child_ so bright?

"I know you hate me," Ed pressed, encouraged by Envy's lack of response, "But I don't think that it's really _me_ you hate."

Smiling contemptuously, Envy mocked, "Well isn't that adorable? Do you want to help me chibi-chan? Is that it?" The homunculus laughed scornfully. "You're so naïve. There's nothing you can…"

"No," the blond cut in, "I think there _is_ something I can do. And I will damn it." Ed's face no longer held the sorrow nor the pity; instead it held resolution. "I've seen that Lust can be human, I've noticed it in the way she talks and the way she holds herself. But you? I've never seen a moment of weakness or flash of humanity in you before. Not until now. And now that I know it's there, I'm going to help you."

However, before Envy could respond properly to the outrageous suggestion, he heard Lust's movement beyond the door. She'd heard them. He wasn't sure at what point she'd actually started listening, but by the sounds of things now, she was going to investigate. Shit. Why did these things always happen to him?

To Be Continued...

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_AGH! I'm sooooo sorry if this chapter sucked beyond all reasoning. I really was pushimg myself to finish it. I typed the last half of it out on a roadtrip home from my grandparents'. The stress!!! -faints-_


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12!!! _

_Ok, so I know I said I would probably be close to finishing around now ((I've been saying stuff like that since chapter three...)) but I'm not so sure anymore. GOD I'M SORRY!! Don't forsake me!! Really, I won't take more than two or three more! I promise!! Oh, creative mind, why doth thou do this to meee?! -sighs- I really am sorry about this. I had intended for this to be only eight chapters long, then only ten, then only twelve, and now I'm thinking fourteen or fifteen. I'm really bad at this whole 'chapter guessing' thing. _

_Anyway, this chapter was WAY easier than its predecessors. Don't ask me why. It just came easier. Maybe it was because I was having a rough time here at home and that helped me write Envy's little spazz attacks. XD Who knows? But yes, there is some yaoi content right around the end; you'll know it when it comes up. And it does go until the end of this chapter. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Skip if you don't want to read it. Ok. so, that's my rant for this chapter. Enjoy the chapter that was, once again, SUPPOSED to be the end._

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Ed was surprised at the fact that Envy had managed to keep his voice fairly low, regardless of his clearly fraying nerves. In fact, the alchemist found it fascinating overall that the homunculus had kept control as well as he had. It wasn't like Envy not to hurt Ed when the blond got 'cheeky'. However, at the offer of being 'helped', Envy's face dictated that his last thread of reserve had been snapped quite efficiently. Yet he _still_ didn't yell. He didn't even say anything. And, clearly, it was due to some sort of distraction.

Envy's piercing violet eyes were fixated on the door, only occasionally darting in Ed's general direction. What was he thinking now? Just what was he up to? Suddenly, without a word, Envy once again enveloped his body in that white light of his, shrinking back down into the guise of the kitten. As such, he wandered over to Ed's side, snuggling in against the alchemist's body.

"Get away from me," Ed hissed, "I'm not going to be part of your stupid lies."

The 'cat' looked angrily up at Ed, but didn't move. It wasn't like the blond could do anything anyway, restrained the way he was.

Then, at the end of the room, the door swung open, Lust's elegant form standing in the entrance. She walked in without a word, the only sound in the room being the sound of her high heels and the measured sound of Ed's breathing. Walking over to stand in front of the bound alchemist, Lust leaned down and smiled at him. Ed shivered in spite of himself.

"Do you mind if I borrow that?" she asked pleasantly, gesturing with her eyes to the resting 'kitten'.

Ed shook his head. "Go for it. It's not mine."

Nodding her appreciation, Lust beamed, "Thank you." Then, pleasant demeanor fading quickly, she lashed out and caught the shape shifter by the scruff of his neck, holding the small creature up to her face as she straightened out. The female homunculus then said almost more to the cat than Ed, "I suppose I should return it to its 'owner'. He must miss it by now. And I'm _certain_ I'll find him in his room."

The 'kitten' flailed in Lust's grasp, struggling to gain its freedom. Finally relenting to his hopeless situation, Envy shifted back, pulling angrily away from the other homunculus. "Would you lay off!" he snapped irritably, "That hurts you know!"

"I had a feeling it was you," Lust smiled, unfazed by Envy's unrestrained frustration. "Didn't Dante tell you to stay away from here?"

Snarling through his teeth, Envy retorted, "_I_ didn't put myself here. You did."

Lust sighed dramatically, looking more than a little bored with Envy's immaturity. "So what were you and Fullmetal arguing about?" she asked as if Ed wasn't even there.

"It's none of your business," the shape shifter sneered arrogantly.

Ed's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. He'd never actually seen them interact outside of their little plots. And suddenly, the alchemist was less than convinced of their being partners. The passive aggression underlying every word they spoke to one another was frightening. Ed was surprised the two hadn't killed each other yet.

However, the blond was jarred out of his thoughts as Lust addressed him. "Fullmetal, what were you talking to Envy about?"

"Huh? Me?" Ed flushed slightly, feeling somewhat awkward speaking to the homunculi so casually. It was beyond normal or expected. "I-I don't know if I should really…"

Lust's brilliant eyes gleamed as she cut him off softly, "Trust me, you should."

Clearly not impressed with being sloughed off, Envy grabbed Lust's face and forced her to meet his cynically vicious gaze. "Look you," he growled with forced civil temperament, "I will _not _be ignored, and I don't think you have any right to nose into any of this."

The female homunculus' eyes flashed venomously at the brazen tone her 'companion' was taking with her. Seizing his wrist, she pulled his hand away from her face, snarling back with equal resentment, "_I_ can do whatever I damn well feel like, thank you. And quite frankly, as your _partner_, I have every right to know what you're doing; especially on _my_ watch shift."

This would get interesting. Ed had never seen - or even heard of - a fight between two homunculi. Really, all he'd ever been told of anything along those lines was Greed's distaste for the others. But judging by the way things were going, he'd finally get to see two go at each other. Wait, could they even kill each other?

"You're not my partner by choice," Envy continued to counter, "In fact, I prefer to work alone. Your sappy emotions hold us back."

"Is that so?" Lust's voice was becoming threatening, her patience obviously running low. "Well then, I suppose you won't mind when my 'sappy emotions' lead me to tell Dante of just where you've been?"

Envy's face paled. Visibly, the shape shifter was not high on the idea of 'Dante' being told. But that didn't make sense. Dante had died, hadn't she? Greed had killed her; Ed had seen it. So then, just who were they referring to?

The male homunculus forced a cocky smile, but his fear was still evident in the wavering of his voice. "Careful what you say sweetie," he scorned, "Chibi-chan doesn't need to learn more than he already knows."

"Odd of you to say that, seeing as you've been spending so much time with him lately."

Now Envy's back was against the wall. Lust had cornered him verbally and was now taking one shot after another. She was weaseling her way to an answer, and the alchemist was impressed. He'd never seen anyone handle Envy so well before. But apparently, Envy wasn't going to go down without kicking and screaming; at least metaphorically.

"Oh? And just what would you know about that?" he smiled bitterly, "Last I heard, you were defending that very fact against Dante. Besides, I'm not like you. I don't just blab all of our secrets to people."

Lust remained calm, not allowing herself to be distracted by Envy's clear attempt at diversion. "I'm afraid you're mistaken," she replied coolly, "_I_, unlike _you_, do not associate myself so personally with our target. Now, if you don't want Dante to know of your little…disobedience, then I suggest you simply swallow that unnecessarily large amount of pride you have and answer my earlier question."

The snarl that came through Envy's gritted teeth could be described as nothing less than furious resignation. It was plain that the shape shifter realized he was in a losing battle, and even more obvious that he didn't like it. Ed was startled to find that he showed just as little control around others as he did around the alchemist. At least now Ed could be sure it wasn't just him.

"Fine," Envy scoffed indignantly, "We were just _talking_ about my hostile mannerisms when I'm around him."

Ed flinched. That was the worst understatement he'd ever heard. 'Hostile mannerisms'? It was more like murderous intent. But it was true that was what they'd been discussing. And that was also the reason Ed felt he now had a chance to save himself - and possibly countless others - from Envy's deadly tendencies.

Smiling with her apparent victory, and continuing to ignore the blond, Lust asked easily, "And just what did you say, hm? What explanation did you give him?"

Envy had perceptibly come to terms with his defeat as his entire posture seemed less tense, his voice less strained. "Just this and that. All chibi-chan asked was why I felt he belonged to me."

"Wait; does that mean you _told_ him that he belonged to you?"

Why was Lust suddenly so interested in what Envy had told Ed? The alchemist glanced between the two homunculi again. There was something going on here that he didn't quite grasp. He had to review what he knew. So far, from what Gerard had told him, what Envy had inadvertently told him, and what he'd seen, Lust had forced Envy to see the psychiatrist. Ed couldn't be sure why, but it noticeably had something to do with him. Then, Envy started acting weirder than usual, always speaking with underlying fear whenever the idea of Ed leaving the homunculus came up. After that, Ed was kidnapped and, evidently, held in a place where Envy was not supposed to get to him. Finally, Envy had slipped up and said that 'Ed was his and no one else's'. But what did that have to do with anything?

Envy seemed reluctant to answer her question, but gave in regardless, not wanting to start another verbal tennis match. "I'm not sure why, but yeah, I said that." Could he have _made_ it sound any less important?

"So you accepted it," Lust smiled softly, her mocking demeanor fading for one Ed didn't recognize, "You now see what we all see."

Snorting in an unimpressed manner, Envy retorted, "Don't say it like that. It's not like some huge revelation or something. I just…came to terms with myself. What's the big deal anyway?"

The female homunculus ignored the other's question. "So Fullmetal wanted to know why you felt that way, correct?" she asked, "Just what did you tell him?"

"Didn't you ask this already?"

Great; Envy's attitude was kicking in again. Ed wanted answers as badly as Lust did, and judging by the change in mannerisms, he figured he'd be fairly safe to give his two cents. After all, he had different questions, and perhaps helping her would help him.

"He said it had to do with revenge against my family," Ed offered from where he sat, drawing both homunculus' attention to himself. "He said he wants me to suffer the way he has, and that he feels only he has the right to do that to me. I remind him of everything he's lost."

Sneering cynically at the blond, Envy derided, "Isn't that cute? You remembered it all."

Lust had now begun ignoring her 'partner', her full attention on Ed. It wasn't even negative attention. She seemed genuinely interested now. "And how did you take that?"

"What is this, another fucking psychiatric session?" Envy was getting irritable again. No surprise there, but Ed would have to be careful of just what he said. The last thing he needed now was for the shape shifter to get physical.

The alchemist swallowed dryly, trying to think of just how to put it. Would he be doing more harm then good by telling her? No, her eyes told him that she was just as concerned about Envy as Ed was, not that Ed would admit to that anytime soon. That must have been part of her reason for sending him to Gerard in the first place. Perhaps she was a homunculus he could trust.

Slowly, he said, "I…I was shocked at first. I hadn't realized that his hatred was more than just senseless violence; it had never occurred to me that maybe, in some way, I hurt him. I mean, I've seen almost human-like qualities in you and Greed, but never in Envy. He's always seemed so callous, so distant, that I thought he was just some sort of deranged lunatic. But now? Now I see that he's suffered, just as you or I have, and that he's been forced to endure it much longer than we have. He…he's in pain, and his only solution is to inflict the same pain on others."

Envy wasn't even looking at Ed anymore, his face a mask of disgust and frustration. Lust, however, was enraptured by what the alchemist had to say, clearly gaining some sort of foothold with every word Ed spoke.

"Go on," she said, hiding her enthusiasm behind a measured tone of voice and unwavering stare.

The blond nodded, glancing only momentarily at Envy. "I figured, since I know it's not _me_, specifically, that he hates and that I know he has these human emotions, I could help him." Ed stared imploringly at Lust. "You have to understand, I don't want to have to kill any of you; you all have the same right to live as we do. After all, it was our stupidity, our sins, that gave you all life, right? What right do we have to take that away from you? But I can't just stand by and let you hurt or manipulate people either! I know that you, Lust, only want your humanity. I respect that. And I honestly think that, given the chance, I can find the humanity that Envy's tried so hard to bury all these years."

"Bullshit," Envy scoffed, "Humans are weak, emotional, ridiculous, disgusting, creatures. Why would _I_, a homunculus, want to shed my immortality for that? I can't be killed, I'm stronger than you or any other human on this planet could possibly imagine, and I will live to see the day when all of your pitiful species dies; the day when all who have ever caused me pain die, ridding me of the horrid reminders of my existence!" The shape shifter turned away angrily, flustered by the conversation and the ideas that were being presented; or so Ed guessed.

However, as he moved to leave, Lust cut him off with her fingers, piercing the door with them and preventing his escape. "Can you hear yourself?" she demanded coldly, "Do you know what you just said? I see what Fullmetal saw. Why do you live like this, Envy? Why do you deny your own self?"

Growling irately, Envy eyes were liquid malice as he stared the two down. "Oh, so now you're both going to gang up on me, is that it? Well good fucking luck." The emerald-black haired man's temper was beyond control now, his posture, tone, and eyes giving away just how upset he was. "I am not going to be part of this pity party, this emotional love fest. Why don't you two 'humans' go make out in a corner and leave me be? I have other things to do than listen to this shit."

But Lust had two hands, and she was by no means afraid to use the other one. Reaching across her body with her free hand, Lust easily caught Envy's shoulder with one of her deadly nails. Ed flinched involuntarily as he watched the digit pierce through the other's joint. That _had _to hurt.

"You aren't going anywhere," Lust said flatly, "Not until you grow up and decide to listen."

Attempting to pull against the finger that was holding him to the far wall, Envy hissed acidly, "And just what is there to listen to, hm? More of your emotional drabble?!"

The female homunculus didn't bother responding to the shape shifter's incensed demands. Instead, she turned her attention back to Ed. "So, Fullmetal, do you honestly think you can help this idiot?"

"The 'idiot' is RIGHT HERE!!!" Envy practically shrieked, having lost his temper beyond recollection.

Ed winced at the homunculus' raised voice. He couldn't help it. When Envy shouted, it often meant pain for someone; and by no stretch was it tolerable pain. But Ed quickly remembered that Envy wasn't exactly in a position to hurt anyone, and focused on Lust's calm demeanor. How she could stay so collected was beyond him; perhaps she'd learned to deal with Envy's 'mood swings' due to their partnership.

Taking a breath to calm his nerves, Ed answered, "I think I may be the only one who can. Whatever pain it is he's suffered - that's made him the way he is - is somehow attributed to me. It's like I'm some sort of 'representation' of whatever it is that's hurting him, and that's why I think I can help him." The alchemist smiled faintly. "But your help would be greatly appreciated."

"Do you just partner with _everyone_ who's out to spite me?!" the forgotten shape shiftered demanded. "First Dante and now chibi-chan?!?!"

Lust looked towards him and flicked her finger irritably, the sound of her nail cutting through his flesh making Ed cringe. The blond had never been more relieved that Envy was a homunculus.

Sneering at his obvious pain, Lust scolded, "Why don't you just shut up for a while? After all, we wouldn't want Dante knowing you're here, would we?"

"I don't think you'd want her to find our you're plotting with chibi-chan either," Envy retorted, oddly confident considering his situation.

The dark haired woman's smile remained. Was confidence just a homunculus thing?? "Ah, but who would be punished more severely? I, who have only now slipped out of line, or you, who has been defying her for almost a week now?"

That caught Envy's attention. Ed only wished he knew just what they were talking about. Obviously, this 'Dante' person - whether she was the same one or not - held quite a bit of power over them. Both were using the name as a threat. And what was this 'defiance' thing now? Was what Envy had been doing just for Envy's own pleasure?

But Ed was forced to pay attention once again, as Lust spoke to him without ever taking her eyes off the pinned shape shifter. "Fullmetal, listen. I'll give you twenty four hours to do what you can. I can't be with you all the time, but I will be when I can. If you can really do what you claim…well, I may just be on your side."

"Oh, go to Hell!" Envy shot, still struggling defiantly, "Who says I'll even cooperate?"

Removing her hand from the door, Lust turned her deadly fingers on Ed's bonds, freeing the alchemist. "I do," she replied smoothly, "And I don't think Edward here is going to be much of a pushover either."

Ed rubbed at his wrist experimentally. No real damage had been done. It was sore and his automail was scuffed, but that much was to be expected. His ankle hurt less; the pain little more than a slight twinge when he put pressure on it. And the mark on his automail there was less noticeable. But Ed didn't have the time to worry about himself. He had to think of some way to 'help' Envy. Furthermore, judging by Envy's attitude, it wasn't going to be easy.

"Lust?" Ed asked hesitantly, debating with himself whether he had the right idea or not, "Let him down."

She looked at him questioningly, obviously not grasping just what he was getting at.

Smiling slightly, the alchemist clarified, "He's not going to get any more cooperative if we keep hanging him there."

The woman glanced between the two of them before reluctantly following through. She retracted her fingers and allowed Envy to find his freedom. And he did. The shape shifter quickly backed away from her; whether by instinct or choice, Ed wasn't sure. He then glared coldly at both of them, eyes pure fury and resentment. Well, so much for any gratitude.

"Envy, calm down," Ed tried hopefully, "We're not trying to hurt you."

Growling like a cornered animal, Envy snarled, "Don't talk to me like that you little prick. I'd fucking kill you if she wasn't here."

Great; his temper really was lost. But what was Ed supposed to do about it? Attacking him would only provoke the homunculus further, and Lust was much too willing to hurt Envy. No, Ed had to find another angle, and he had a pretty good idea of which one. Not again…

The blond took several deep breaths before moving slowly towards Envy. There was no point in saying anything; the shape shifter wasn't listening. But actions spoke louder than words. From behind, Ed could hear Lust taking up a position should Envy try anything. Well, at least he knew someone had his back. Envy didn't move from where he stood, his eyes narrowing as Ed grew closer, his shoulders tensing.

"Do you have a death wish chibi-chan?" the homunculus sneered dangerously. Yeah, Envy was in a bad mood, but not bad enough to drop the nickname yet. That was a good sign.

And so Ed pressed forward until he and Envy were nearly toe to toe. The alchemist could see that every muscle in the homunculus' well toned body was tensed, prepared to do whatever they may have to. Ed would have to act fairly quickly. So, tossing away any and all reserve he had, Ed gave into his emotions just as he had the night before, throwing his arms around Envy's neck and capturing the other man's lips hungrily.

At first, Envy grabbed at Ed's body, moving to pull the alchemist away. But as Ed pressed further, deepening the passion of the moment, the homunculus' body relaxed. Ed could feel the tension slip from Envy's body. That was a relief. His plan had worked, again. He'd definitely have to thank that boy in the mess hall. Then it hit. If Envy had really been doing what he'd been doing to _hurt_ Ed, why would he enjoy it when the alchemist initiated it? Unless there was something else; some sort of actual desire.

Panic hit hard and Ed pulled away, stumbling backwards and turning his eyes away. Shit! Sure, he'd calmed Envy's temper, but in the same instant, he had also realized just how accurate that psychiatrist had been. Envy really _did_ 'want' Ed. It wasn't just hatred or jealously or something manageable like that; it was full fledged _need_ to have Ed, the alchemist having felt it in the way Envy had reacted.

Apparently, however, Envy didn't like being blown off like that. Snorting indignantly, Envy shot, "Well, I'm sorry if I did something wrong, chibi-chan, but you started it."

"N-no," Ed stammered, "It's…never mind." What was he supposed to say? The records of the session said themselves that Envy didn't believe in the whole concept. Pushing it would just anger the shape shifter again. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like Lust shared the same tact.

Voice cutting in smoothly, she answered, "He's realized the same thing everyone but you has. You want him, Envy, and that scares him a bit."

But Envy didn't react the way Ed had expected him to. He didn't yell or defend himself, he simply stared at her. Then, slowly, he turned his eyes to the alchemist, and Ed didn't see the all too common malice or violence. It was more like confused inquiry or childish wonder, and it almost frightened the blond more than the hostility. Suddenly, before Ed had time to react, Envy had lashed out, pulling Ed's body against his own, wrapping his arms about the smaller man's waist, kissing adoringly at the blonde's flushed face.

"You know what?" the shape shifter purred seductively, "You're right. I do _want_ chibi-chan." He then nipped playfully at Ed's reddened ear. "But it's purely physical." With that finalizing statement, Envy ground his hips against Ed's backside, causing the alchemist to gasp sharply. Ok, so having Envy hold him from behind was a little more than awkward. He'd unquestionably keep that one in mind.

Lust rolled her eyes but made no move to dislodge the shape shifter from the flustered alchemist. "Should I give you two a minute to work this out of your systems?" she asked with a raise of her eyebrow, "Or are you done?"

Almost callously, Envy shoved Edward away from him, absently raking his long finger through his thick emerald-black hair. "I'm done," he shrugged indifferently, "Are you?"

"With what?" she spat coldly.

The shape shifter gestured broadly about the room. "With this; this whole 'let's drag out Envy's therapy' session."

Lust smiled cynically, replying mockingly, "You think _that_ little act is going to get you out of this? Don't count on it. Now I even know what the two of you have been up to."

"Why are you insisting so badly that I go through with this?" Envy demanded, ignoring her subtle threat, "I don't understand what you're trying to accomplish!"

Self-preservation, Ed thought bitterly, still picking up the pieces of his wounded dignity. Not that the bastard would know anything about that.

But Lust took it upon herself to continue arguing with the other homunculus. "What don't you understand? You were human once, Envy, just like I was. But you've forgotten that, and now you're bitter and hateful. Does that not bother you? You said yourself how much you hurt."

"And I also said I have no desire to become that which causes me pain," Envy countered, "I simply want to cause the pain back, to get even. These ridiculous humans have to learn just how much suffering they put us through for _their_ mistakes!"

"Envy, you're just hurting them for your own satisfaction!"

Ed sighed heavily; they were getting angry with each other again. Just how _did_ these two ever manage to work together? Wearily, the blond cut in, "Could you two not argue, please? I can't imagine either of you want this 'Dante' person to hear you yelling at each other in here."

Envy snorted angrily but gave no verbal response; Lust simply shook her head and turned away from the shape shifter. At least Ed had gotten his point across. Now to actually make some progress.

"You said we could have twenty four hours, right?" Ed asked Lust calmly.

She nodded curtly. "I can probably sneak you two out of here later tonight. Do you have somewhere we could go?"

Thinking for a moment, Ed quickly ruled out his military dorm. It had been hard enough having Envy there the first time. Having both the shape shifter and Lust there, especially with their tendencies to argue, would be down right impossible. So they'd have to take refuge in a hotel yet again. But not the same one; Roy would look there if he decided to look anywhere. They could pick later. "A hotel," Ed answered finally, "A nice one too. That way we can each have our own room should we need it."

"Not keen to share a bed with me again chibi-chan?" Envy mocked snidely.

Ed blushed but refused to answer the homunculus' malicious question. He still had to think of a plan. However, for the time being, the main problem would be getting out from wherever it was they were. And, clearly, Lust realized this as well.

Sighing softly, the woman said, "You two stay here. I'm going to go monitor just where _that person_…" an almost malicious glance was sent in Envy's direction, "…is. I'll be back when we have our window." And with that, Lust took her leave, closing the heavy door behind her.

The alchemist stared at the door for a moment before turning his large amber eyes on Envy. The shape shifter was still standing angrily off to one side, apparently not too eager to speak with Ed as his violet eyes wandered the room distractedly. But Ed had to ask, had to set something straight.

"Envy?" he muttered, "Are…are you ok?"

Snorting, Envy shot back, "Go to Hell."

Ed winced. Ok, so the shape shifter's mood had nose dived again. That just meant a little more tact was required when broaching the subject. "Look, I'm sorry ok?" Ed tried, his voice sounding a little more irritated than he'd intended, "But you brought this on yourself."

"How the hell did I do that, hm?" Ah the venomous sarcastic approach. Wonderful.

"You won't let it go," the blond responded calmly, "The past, I mean. I understand that you've been hurt before, but so have I. Don't think my life's been a bed of roses. The only reason I've managed to move on so well is because I don't cling to what I've done. If anything, I've learned from it and set goals to rectify what went wrong. You? You just turned your pain into negative energy that you release on others. That's not my fault."

Envy's eyes flashed furiously and he lunged at Ed, catching the alchemist's wrist. Obviously the other man had been going for the teen's throat, but Ed had managed to get his automail in the way before any damage could be done. Snarling through clenched teeth, Envy hissed, "Don't _ever_ compare yourself to me again!"

Meeting Envy's icy glare, Ed retorted, "And why not? Just what is it that hurt you so badly?"

The homunculus tensed, his mind evidently looking for just what to say. But nothing was said. Instead, Envy scoffed heatedly and tossed Ed aside. The alchemist retained his balance, only stumbling slightly as he was put off. Whatever had damaged Envy so badly was clearly not something the shape shifter was willing to talk about. Well, that hadn't been what Ed had wanted to know anyway.

"I didn't want to ask you about that," Ed apologized, "You just brought it up. I thought maybe…"

"Well keep you fucking thoughts to yourself." Envy had cut him off, mood worse than it had been only moments before. Damn him and his stupid mood swings. The homunculus was almost like a scorned child in that way.

Rubbing at his forehead to keep his patience in check, Ed tried again. "Envy I just want to clear something up," he pressed, not dissuaded quite yet. After all, Envy hadn't _really_ attacked him yet.

An indignant snort was all Ed got as a response, Envy not even bothering to look at the alchemist anymore. Ed would have to make a mental note of that habit; Envy wouldn't meet his eyes if he was upset.

"What you said earlier to Lust, that was just to get her off your back, right?" Ed could feel the heat on his face as he asked. He was being vague too. Ed would be lucky if Envy even knew what the hell he was talking about.

Frowning slightly, Envy turned his eyes back to Ed, tilting his head in mild confusion. "What are you getting at chibi-chan?"

The alchemist hated how awkward he felt. Nothing had ever made him feel this uncomfortable; or this afraid. For some reason, some part of Ed feared just what Envy's response would be. "Wh-when you said that you w-wanted me." Damn it! He was stammering now too?!

Silence fell between the two for a moment before Envy began to laugh. And it wasn't strictly mocking laughter either. True, the element of mockery was there, but there was also a feel of genuine amusement behind it. Ed wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or irritated.

"Is that what you're worried about chibi-chan?" Envy smiled, "What would you like me to say, hm?"

Ed wasn't sure. At first, he'd felt positively repulsed by the idea of Envy's need to possess him, but some inner part of him longed for that embrace again, that feeling of being wanted. No! That couldn't be right! Ed shook his head furiously in an attempt to rid his mind of such a thought. He didn't _want_ Envy to want him. He just wanted it be a game for the homunculus; some sick attempt at revenge! Or did he?

Realizing that the shape shifter was still staring teasingly at him, Ed tripped verbally in an attempt to answer him. "Wh-what kind of question…? I mean it's not me we're…This is your…Just answer honestly!"

Envy laughed harder, buckling over and holding his sides. The stupid prick was getting more amusement out of this than Ed had intended. Well, at least a happy Envy was better than an angry one. And Ed couldn't help but smile as well at Envy's laughter. There was no malice in it; just simple delight, and Ed had never heard him laugh like that before. It was…cute.

Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, Envy let his laughter wear down as he straightened up. "Alright then chibi-chan, I'll answer you honestly. But only if you answer one _my_ questions first."

"What?! But I asked first!" Not this again. Why did Envy like this question game so much?

Envy shrugged and smiled derisively. "Too bad. I'm making the rules."

The alchemist sighed huffily but realized he'd have to play Envy's little game if he wanted to get any answers. Besides, what could Envy possibly want to know? "Fine," he answered in forced resignation, "I'll answer your question first."

"Good," Envy beamed, "And no cheating this time, ok chibi-chan?"

"Would you stop calling me that?!" Ed was really starting to get fed up with it. It was practically every second word out of the bastard's mouth.

Smile still firmly in place, Envy ignored the outburst and asked all to casually, "Just how much do you enjoy it when I fuck you?"

Ok, the question was worse than Ed had anticipated. Why would Envy even ask that?! And the arrogant bastard was enjoying how much Ed was struggling too!! The alchemist had never hated himself more than he had in the past three days.

Face flushed horribly, Ed stuttered, "I-I don't…I mean I…W-well you…We…AGH!!" The alchemist buried his heated face in his hands, too flustered and confused to answer the question. What the hell was he supposed to say?! _He_ didn't even know the answer!!

Suddenly, Ed found his face being lifted to meet Envy's. When had the homunculus gotten so close?! Holding the alchemist firmly in place, Envy kissed Ed fondly, whispereing against the smaller man's lips, "Why don't I extract that answer from you?"

"Wh-what are you…?" But Ed's words caught in his throat as Envy's hot tongue ran along the alchemist jaw and neck line. Gasping instinctively, Ed leaned his head back, fixing his now half-lidded eyes on the ceiling. If he just focused on how it felt, his conscience wouldn't get involved. After all, it was _who_ it was that scared Ed so badly, not so much what was being done.

Envy's hands were on Ed's waist now, quite forcefully pushing the alchemist backwards until they hit the wall. And then those long, nimble fingers went to work on Ed's belt. No, not here. Lust was coming back, wasn't she? What was Envy thinking?

However, when Ed opened his mouth to protest, Envy purred, "Shh, chibi-chan, I won't take too long with you."

Was that supposed to be reassuring? It wasn't, if that was the intention. Not that Ed was given much time to think on it. His heavy belt hit the floor with a muted 'thump'and Envy's indulgent kisses were now focused on Ed's chest. Why did they have to kidnap him without a shirt? Ed arched up against the homunculus' skilled mouth as Envy's tongue teased one of Ed's sensitive nipples. The stupid bastard was getting better at this.

Dragging his taunting caresses back up to Ed's face, Envy muttered, "Do something for me, chibi-chan?"

Ed could barely focus on the homunculus' words, the shape shifter's hands proving sufficiently distracting as they'd managed to work their way into Ed's boxers. "Ah," the alchemist choked out, "Wh-what? Oh god!"

"Call my name," Envy smiled, nipping at the blonde's reddened ear.

What?! Was this some sort of sick joke? Why did he…? But once again, Envy's clever fingers managed to drag Ed's mind back to the present, teasing the younger man's desire without reserve. As the homunculus took one, long, pleasure-seeking stroke, Ed cried out obediently, "Ah! Envy!"

"Louder," the homunculus insisted, tightening his grip on Ed's hardening length.

Ed could barely find his voice under Envy's passionate torture. But he had to. Swallowing hard, the alchemist practically screamed, "E-Envy!!"

Licking at the Ed's face, Envy pressed, "Good. Now beg me."

The pleasure was blinding, Ed's mind practically blank from it all. To Hell with his dignity. He wanted what Envy could give him. Digging his hands into Envy's flamboyant hair, Ed whimpered, "God, Envy, please. I _need _you; I _need_ more."

Chuckling against Ed's face, Envy kissed the boy's cheek softly. "That's what I thought," he breathed.

To Be Continued...


	13. Chapter 13

_HAHA! I did it! I forced myself to finish chapter thirteen over my four day weekend. You'd think I'd have managed that easily enough, but it was harder than one would think. Especially when one accounts for the fact that I just bought _"Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2"._ Addicting? Yes. I played it for 10 hours this weekend alone. I love it!! Orochimaru is a pain in my ass in that game. I've had to fight that prick __**6**__ times. SIX!!! But he's soooo cool!! My feelings for him are so torn; he's so gross but so cool I don't know WHAT to think. But enough about him. None of you care about him. This is about Ed and Envy!! XD Woot..._

_Ok, so I'm sorry if this one is shorter than the rest. I couldn't think very well. It's the end of the fourth day of my four day weekend, I'm listening to Maroon 5 and helping my sister with her homework. Lots to do...lots to do. So, now that I'm done rambling, ENJOY CHAPTER THIRTEEN!! _

_Oh, by the way, the yaoi from the end of the last chapter is continued at the beginning of this one. Just giving you all a heads up. _

---

Envy didn't have too much time to toy with his lovely chibi. Lust probably wasn't going to be too much longer, and having her walk in on the two of them would definitely serve as a buzz kill. That didn't mean that he wasn't going to have fun with the blond though.

Mercifully drawing his hands from the other's undergarments, Envy hooked his fingers onto the elastic. Ed panted heavily, his warm breath brushing against Envy's face. Yes, the alchemist would always be under Envy's control when it came right down to it. The only problem was that the boy seemed to enjoy it all, sufficiently ruining the shape shifter's overall goal. However, at the time being, his plan was the last thing on Envy's mind.

The homunculus freed the chibi of what little clothing he had left, at the same time lifting the smaller man from the floor. Ed instinctively hooked his arms around Envy's neck, kissing heatedly at the shape shifter's face, at the same time wrapping his nimble legs about the other's waist.

"Hold on chibi-chan," Envy purred teasingly, "I'm not going to be gentle with you."

Biting the homunculus' lower lip, Ed replied hoarsely, "I didn't expect any less."

Envy smiled. Oh how he adored chibi-chan's attitude; it made things…fun. And so he wasted no more time, shifting away his own clothes, pressing the smaller man firmly between his own body and the wall, and finally forcing himself into the younger man. Ed gasped sharply, tightening his legs' grip on the homunculus' slender waist, pulling Envy in as far as he could go. The shape shifter moved relentlessly against his chibi, seeking his own gratification as much as the alchemist's 'answer'. Perhaps he could break the boy yet, no matter how much the chibi seemed to enjoy it. And if not, maybe he could at least earn himself a passive chibi-chan.

Pulling harshly at Envy's long emerald-black hair, Ed had his head thrown back, his breathing heavy, his body moving in pace with Envy's heedless thrusts. "Ah! Yes, Envy, harder," he gasped out roughly, "God, I want you so bad."

Ed's cries were driving Envy mad. Every plea the alchemist breathed heightened the shape shifter's pleasure exponentially, and Envy wasn't quite sure why. Whether it was simply having chibi-chan _beg_ him for something, or the actual sex, he couldn't quite discern. All he knew for sure was that he thouroughly reveled in these new 'battles' of theirs; especially since they were battles he often won.

As Envy finally found his relief - Ed having found his only moments before - he let the alchemist slide slowly down the wall, the blond shakily disentangling his legs from the homunculus' waist. But chibi-chan didn't release his hold on the shape shifter. He kept his arms wrapped adoringly about Envy's neck, face nuzzled in against the taller man's chest. Chibi-chan was still breathing fairly heavily, and there were still small streaks of sweat traveling down his well toned form, but his body felt cool to the touch. Envy shifted himself appropriately to clothe himself, slightly concerned when Ed _still_ didn't move.

"Ne, chibi-chan?" Envy quipped, "What are you doing?"

Ed bit down on Envy's shoulder, causing the homunculus to flinch slightly. "Shut up," the blond muttered against Envy's skin.

But Envy was growing increasingly uncomfortable with Ed clinging to him like that. So he persisted in bothering the strangely affectionate chibi. "Lust is going to see you naked chibi-chan," he pointed out.

Still nothing.

"Oh come on," the homunculus sighed, "Why are you so clingy all of a sudden?"

Finally, Ed decided to say something helpful. Although it wasn't what Envy had been expecting. "I think I just realized something…" the alchemist muttered softly, "But I'm not sure. So just shut up and let me think."

Envy rolled his eyes but couldn't bring himself to actually pry the chibi off of himself. After all, Ed's body was warming up again and felt good against Envy's perpetually cool skin. And Envy still had to get his answer. "So I guess that means you like it quite a bit, right chibi-chan?"

"Hm?" Ed looked up into Envy's openly mocking gaze. "Oh yeah. I guess so."

The homunculus raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You guess? Can you not hear yourself?"

Ed frowned, replying back flatly, "I thought I said you should shut up."

"Just admit it!" Envy pressed, not entirely sure why he felt the need to get Ed to confess it out loud, "I can't fuck you enough!"

Blushing faintly, Ed shot back, "I wouldn't go that far. I mean, sure, it's…interesting, but it's not something I crave day in and day out. I could go without. You on the other hand…"

Suddenly, Envy heard the sound of high heels clicking down the hall. That was either Lust or Dante, Envy couldn't be sure which. Not good. And so he silenced his chibi by placing one long finger against the younger man's mouth, receiving a less than happy glare in return.

"Dress yourself," the homunculus hissed under his breath. "We've got company." Envy then took the form of his cat once again. After all, if it _was_ Dante, she'd ordered that it be put there.

Ed flushed for a moment before pulling his discarded clothes on once again. He then stared at the 'cat' on the floor. "Envy," he whispered urgently, "What about my _restraints_?"

Oh shit! At least Ed got the idea that it might not be Lust. But that didn't fix the problem. Glancing around the room, Envy sent a look at his chibi that hopefully read, "Fake it." The homunculus couldn't be sure of why he felt the need to help chibi-chan so much, but he would do what he could. Maybe it was the fact that _he_ could be blamed; yeah…that had to be it.

As the door swung open, Ed threw himself gracelessly against the wall, tucking his ankles underneath him and holding his arms behind his back. Good enough.

"You two are pathetic," Lust sighed tiredly, shutting the door behind her. "You should know that Fullmetal's automail isn't exactly all that quiet."

Envy quickly regained form, staring her down angrily. "You couldn't have given us a _hint_ or something?" he snarled irritably. He didn't like being made a fool of.

The woman in question waved a dismissive hand, calmly blowing him off. Bitch… Then, equally as neutral, Lust continued, "We got lucky. Something came up and Dante's had to accompany Pride somewhere. We have some time."

Sighing heavily, Envy was forced to remember just what was going on. Right…the two of them were ganging up on him to 'help him'. What a load of shit. But hey, if they wanted to try, they were only wasting their own time, right? Well, it was his too, but he had an eternity. Better to watch their little plan crash and burn than just sit around and do nothing. And so he decided that his earlier tactic of refusal was just a waste of life and energy; energy that he'd now expended on Ed. Damn it! Why did fucking the little alchemist drain him so much?!

"Wait," chibi-chan muttered, getting back on his feet, "Envy still owes me an answer."

Great, the blond remembered their deal too. He should have seen that one coming.

Lust raised a curious eyebrow. "Should I step out?" she asked with a faint mocking smile.

"Please and thank you," Envy snarled cynically. God, he hated her so much sometimes. But she was useful, and, really, he liked her most of the time. Not that he'd ever tell her. She'd just hold it against him for the rest of their endless lives.

Shrugging elegantly, Lust turned on her heel and stepped out, no doubt taking her place right outside the door anyway. In the long run, it really didn't matter that she'd left. She'd hear it all anyway.

But chibi-chan clearing his throat forced Envy to stop imagining horrible and disfiguring ways to hurt Lust. Apparently, the alchemist wanted his little answer. The shape shifter couldn't even remember the question, and he made that fact known.

"Enlighten me again, chibi-chan?" he cooed, "I can't remember what you wanted to know."

Ed bit his lip in some sort of subconscious effort not to chew Envy's head off. And they said _he_ had mood swings; Envy had never seen someone go from ecstasy to fury as quickly as chibi-chan did after they had sex.

"Damn it Envy," the alchemist forced through clenched teeth, "I'm not going to repeat myself just so you can laugh at me again!"

Oh right! He'd laughed at the blond. Probably hadn't been the best idea, now that he looked back on it. Not that he could do anything about it now. So then, just what was it that had amused the homunculus so much? Ed obviously just thought the shape shifter was screwing with him. Envy shrugged internally; he should have expected as much, seeing as he more often than not _would _be screwing with the boy. Now he was forced to use his selective memory to produce just what had been asked of him. Hm…Chibi-chan had asked what had hurt Envy, but he'd taken it back. Then he'd asked…Right! If what Envy had said about wanting him was true.

Finally collecting the question, Envy met Ed's questioning golden eyes. "Sorry chibi-chan," he sneered, "I'd have answered sooner, but I couldn't remember the question."

"Just shut up and answer already," Ed snorted.

"Hm," Envy mused out loud, "I wonder…didn't I tell you this already?" He had, hadn't he? He'd explained why Ed belonged to him. So then why ask again? Envy would never understand the human mentality.

Chibi-chan flushed slightly before shaking his head adamantly. "No, that was a different matter," he replied, "I'm wondering if you _want_ me."

"So you mean sexually, on a regular basis?" Envy inquired honestly, adoring the color that stained chibi-chan's otherwise flawless cheeks.

The alchemist stumbled around verbally for a while, unable to return Envy's deadpan stare. Apparently the blond didn't take the whole matter as lightly as the homunculus did. At length, Ed muttered awkwardly, "Y-yeah…I guess you could put it that way."

Saying it all quite flatly, Envy responded, "Then no. Sure, you're cute and all, and I love just how much it bothers you, but it's all just fun and games chibi-chan. Don't get your hopes up." But as the words left his mouth, Envy knew he was lying. He couldn't pinpoint just which part of it was a lie - if not all of it - but he wasn't about to be distracted by it. In the end, he really didn't want to think about _why_ he was lying.

An odd expression crossed the chibi's face at Envy's offhanded response; something of a mixture of relief and disappointment. How strange. Did chibi-chan know he looked like that? Whatever.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, Ed responded softly, "Oh. That's…good." The alchemist then coughed into a clenched fist and straightened up. "If that's all, then I suggest you get your partner." Someone recovered quickly…

Envy flipped his hair absently over his shoulder and moved silently over to the door, pulling it open with little concern for the homunculus on the other side. Lust was standing with the same bored posture she always had when waiting for Envy, her back turned to the doorway. However, when it was opened, she looked back over her shoulder, smiling darkly at the shape shifter. Just what did she find so funny?!

"Eavesdropping again?" Envy queried venomously.

Turning to face him, she patted his face, smile quite openly mocking. "Perhaps," she replied quietly, kissing him on the nose. "But that's none of your concern." Lust then looked past Envy to chibi-chan. "Are you coming?" the woman asked, "We have to get out of here before someone _else_ comes along."

Chibi-chan muttered something of an affirmation, the blonde's mind clearly still elsewhere. No doubt the arrogant little human was plotting some sort of twisted means to 'help' Envy. Let the boy think. There was nothing either of them could do to change Envy's mind.

But Lust wasn't about to sit around and wait for either of them. Taking up Envy's hand, she began walking swiftly down the long halls. "Come on Fullmetal," she called over her shoulder, "Or we'll leave you behind."

"And what good would that do you?" Envy ridiculed, "Isn't chibi-chan your 'key' to helping me?"

A cold glare of promised pain was all he received in return. What a wonderful partner he had, always working with others against him and insinuating future amounts of anguish. Story of his life. Regadless, he heard chibi-chan's footfalls behind them, keeping up fairly well. Envy couldn't help but smile. Why would they do this, put so much effort into a hopeless cause? He almost felt bad for them; almost.

The female homunculus had significantly better luck than Envy when it came to escaping unnoticed, all three of them reaching Central's streets without ever crossing the path of another living being. Given, they'd had to blindfold the alchemist in order to make sure he had no knowledge of just where they were or where they'd come from, but that hadn't taken all that much effort. Lust had simply removed Envy's headband - without asking, mind you, - and then pulled it over Ed's unsuspecting eyes. At first the boy had protested adamantly, but when Lust had calmly 'advised' him otherwise, he shut up. The poor child had even had to keep the thing on until they'd taken their first taxi ride out of the derelict end of the city. It was then that Envy finally got to have his headband back, and it was about damn time; his hair had been falling into his face more than usual the entire time.

It was as the shape shifter was pulling it back on - fighting with emerald-black tendrils as he did - that Lust decided to speak with chibi-chan again. "So," she said with a soft smile, "Just where do you want to go?"

Ed shivered, probably due to the winter-ish temperatures and his lack of any upper body coverage. But it was only a momentary show of weakness, probably something anyone _but_ a homunculus would notice. Too bad homunculi were the only company the boy was keeping. And so Envy decided to mock the younger man.

"Cold, chibi-chan?" he sneered.

"Shut up," the blond spat back acidly, "I'm fine." He then turned his attention to Lust, adding, "We'll just take a place around here. But I can't pay. The military can track my spending."

Lust waved a flippant hand. "Don't worry about it," she assured, "We've got the cost. It's only a night anyway." Her brilliant violet eyes then took in the surroundings, scoping out a hotel that suited her. And before she'd even picked it, Envy knew which one she wanted. A woman of her 'class' wouldn't settle on some rundown little place like her two 'companions' had the night before. No, she quite clearly had her eyes set on the one very large, elaborate, hotel that stood in the area. "That one," Lust pointed out, just as Envy had predicted.

The alchemist gawked momentarily at her selection. You'd think the boy had never stayed first class. Wait, he probably hadn't. It seemed like Envy was helping Ed experience quite a few of his 'firsts'; how cute. But even if Ed wasn't cold - although it was blatantly obvious that wasn't the case - Envy was. Not that temperature really mattered any to homunculi, Envy just didn't like the feeling. And so the shape shifter took the initiative, walking forward down the street toward Lust's chosen place of stay, shortly followed by the other homunculus present.

"H-hey!" chibi-chan called after them, "Are you really going to pay for _that_?"

Neither of the preceding homunculi answered the blond. Why would they? Why answer something when the answer was so clearly evident? God humans were stupid. In the past few days, Envy had found his bewilderment over the others' desire for humanity had grown exponentially. He never would, nor did he want to, understand it. After all, their business was their business. It's not like _he_ was going to become human. The very thought of it made him gag.

As the small party entered the ornate lobby - Envy not having bothered with his appearance - they attracted several stares from the suits that were standing about. The shape shifter couldn't help but send an impertinent smile to some of the more open onlookers, even managing an obscene gesture at one of the older men. A wave of mutterings met his flamboyant behavior, as well as Lust's pointed heel on top of his toes.

"Shit woman!" Envy snapped, pulling his injured foot away, "What is your problem?!"

Lust glared him down, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Behave yourself," she warned quietly, "Or I'll hit something other than you foot next time."

Meeting her glare with one of his own, Envy shot back, "And I suppose it'll be with something other than your foot as well. Way to lie low."

"Oh yes, and your behavior is just _so_ much better."

Envy knew he was getting on her last nerve, but he couldn't have cared less. If she wanted a fight, he was all for it. No one told _him_ what he could and couldn't do. Not even Dante. Ok…so maybe _she_ could, but even then it was only to a certain extent.

Smiling derisively at his 'partner', Envy beamed cynically, "Ah yes, because that _must_ be the only reason people are staring at us. It couldn't _possibly_ be the fact that two adults just walked into an expensive hotel with a half dressed _kid_."

"Yes," she sneered in retaliation, "And one of those _adults_ is dressed like some sort of street corner whore!"

The shape shifter tilted his head, dark smile still in place. "Oh, Lust, don't say such things about yourself. It's bad for self-esteem."

However, just as the infuriated woman was about to lash out and no doubt rip a hole right through Envy's throat, chibi-chan jumped between the two. "Would you two calm down?!" he hissed through clenched teeth, "You're only making things worse!" He then stared Envy down; and impressive feat considering he was shorter. "_You_," the alchemist snarled, "Stop attracting unnecessary attention." His large yellow eyes turned to Lust, saying much more politely, "And try to ignore Envy. He's an idiot. You know it, I know it; he's just trying to make things harder for us."

"I'm not an idiot," Envy returned flatly. "But if you want me to make something harder…"

Ed's face flushed and he stomped openly on Envy's bare foot. Shit! Did everyone have to try and break his freaking toes?! "Would you shut up?!" chibi-chan snapped in a mixture of embarrassment and frustration, "Now is _not_ the time for that!"

The accused homunculus shrugged indifferently, refusing to let on about just how much his foot hurt. Sure, he healed quickly, but pain was pain, and he wasn't fond of it. In fact, pain was the closest thing to overcoming that Elric bastard on his list of things he hated. Intriguing, considering it was his job to inflict all the pain. Ah, sweet irony.

Lust was now standing at the recption desk, speaking to a visibly pale clerk. Ha! The stupid human was unnerved because of their little 'show'. Weak, all of them. Most, if not all, of them were still staring too. You'd think the 'higher class' would have a little more restraint. So much for that theory. But as Envy went to do something simply for amusement's sake, Ed grabbed his arm, holding the homunculus firmly in place.

"No more," chibi-chan muttered, not bothering to meet Envy's irritated and demanding stare.

Attempting to shake the other's hold off, Envy snarled, "Let go chibi-chan, or I'll have to try something else."

No response. Stupid chibi. Wait! Chibi!! Shit; his cat was still in his room! He couldn't just leave it there! It would make a mess of his room!

Turning to leave, Envy found himself _still_ restrained by his little alchemist. What the hell?! "Look, chibi-chan," Envy smiled sardonically, "I forgot something back at home. Care to let me go for a minute?"

"Not until you stop calling me that," Ed replied flatly.

Envy frowned. It was as if everyone in his life suddenly thought it was fun to tell him what to do. Did he have something written on his forehead he wasn't aware of? Was it some sort of 'mess with Envy's head' week or something? Whatever it was, he wasn't going to take much more of it. The next person who took it upon themselves to order him around was losing a limb.

Growling low in his throat, Envy returned, "Listen, _chibi-chan_, this is fairly important and I don't have time for your little games. Now let me go before I rip you fucking head off."

Ed didn't even give the other a passing glance, eyes still focused on Lust finishing up. Oh, that was _it_!!

The shape shifter used his free arm and caught Ed's left wrist. Stupid boy, using the human arm. Envy would make him regret that decision. Tightening his grip on the smaller man's joint, Envy hissed venomously, "Let go, or I break it."

"Envy," Lust's tired voice sighed, "Stop behaving like a child, _please_."

Damn it!! He'd waited too long! Just when he'd obtained his angle, the psycho bitch returned, screwing everything over. Her hand was even planted on his shoulder, meaning if he tried anything, her fingers would go straight through his brain. Yes, she was a wonderful partner indeed.

Refusing to release chibi-chan's wrist, Envy informed her dangerously, "I seem to have left something behind, and I would _greatly_ appreciate it if you two would allow me to retrieve it."

"It's your cat, isn't it?" she asked calmly, having dealt more than once with a frustrated Envy.

Envy could feel his cheeks flush momentarily, but he regained his composure well enough. "What of it?" he snapped, "I'm not just going to leave it there!"

Lust removed her hand from Envy's shoulder and sighed in exasperation, explaining to him, "You couldn't have it here anyway. They don't let animals into this hotel. It was hard enough for me to convince them _you_ could stay." She then smiled maliciously. "Besides, it's your fault for taking the thing in. _You_ put its life in danger by even having it live with us."

The shape shifter realeased chibi-chan's wrist and stood toe-to-toe with Lust, his eyes liquid fury. "I'm not going to take this shit from you anymore," Envy pointed out menacingly. "If you don't drop your little 'high and mighty' act, I _will_ start something."

"Go ahead and try it," Lust countered, her own eyes narrowing severely.

Suddenly, the tension was broken as chibi-chan reached between them and took up the keys from Lust's hand. Walking away from both homunculi, Ed called over his shoulder, "When you two are done bickering, I'll be in the room."

That arrogant little bastard! What gave him the right to treat _them_ like children?! Stomping angrily after his chibi, Envy caught up to the alchemist by the elevator, grabbing the boy's shoulder and spinning him around. It had been quite a while since he'd been in _this_ bad a mood.

However, just as Envy was about to spit acid curses into the chibi's face, Ed spoke up first. "Don't bother," he cut in, "Yelling isn't going to solve anything. Just take a few deep breaths and keep it to yourself."

Envy was flabbergasted. Did chibi-chan just…?! Who did he think he was?! But then…only Lust had ever had the gall to talk to him like that. Since when did chibi-chan have the guts to face Envy down like that??

Lost in his confusion, Envy didn't hear the subtle 'ding' that signaled the elevator's arrival. What he _did_ notice was when chibi-chan took his hand and led him into the thing. The shape shifter's eyes snapped up from the floor, trying to seem irritated but still fogged over by perplexity. It was then that he noticed Lust had joined them as well. An awkward silence fell between them as the machine carried them up, chibi-chan still loosely holding onto Envy's hand. And Envy, in all his bewilderment and suddenly exhausted state of mind, didn't feel the need to do anything about it. In fact, the gesture was almost comforting, his already receding temper being calmed entirely by chibi-chan's relaxed demeanor.

Another soft 'ding' indicated their arrival, Envy being once again led from the elevator by chibi-chan's guiding hand. It was as if the elevator had sucked his will to fight right out of him as he just followed quietly behind, eyes focusing on nothing at all. He simply let his mind wander, trusting the alchemist to take him where he needed to go. It was an unnerving feeling, this complete belief in another. Envy had never felt anything like it before in his life, and it scared him somewhat. Why did chibi-chan inspire this sudden willingness to trust?

When the three of them reached the door to their room, Ed let go of Envy's hand to unlock the door. The sudden absence of his chibi's hand momentarily frightened Envy, but he mentally slapped himself. What did he care if Ed wanted to hold his hand or not? It didn't matter in the least. He'd managed this long without ever having to depend on another's presence, he could certainly go the evening. After all, the homunculus had decided four hundred years ago that he'd never rely on someone other than himself ever again.

So, when the door was opened and chibi-chan reached for him yet again, Envy jerked away, brushing coldly past the alchemist into the large room. Yes, this one was well over a hundred times better than their last one.

To his right upon entry was a large closet probably there for coats, but big enough to fit a small wardrobe. Directly after that wound a staircase, leading upstairs to something. Across from the stairs was the door to the oversized bathroom, its floors and counters resembling some sort of expensive stone with a shower at the far end large enough to house all three of them. Beyond that, the room opened up, immediately becoming a kitchen-like area, equipped with everything one would need. A small wall cut part way into the room, dividing the kitchen from the apparent living room which contained two small couches, a television, a small table, and several armchairs. But no beds yet. They must have been upstairs. So the shape shifter climbed to stairs to affirm his suspicions.

Sure enough, he was met by a large bedroom, a balcony off to his right. But there was another door to the left, just beyond the bed. Shuffling through, Envy found yet _another_ room, the bed equally sized and containing the same furniture. But instead of a balcony, this room had a second bathroom attached, somewhat smaller than the first floor one, but just as ornate. Huh…Lust really did know how to pick her hotels.

It was the sight of the beds, however, that prompted Envy's body to remind the homunculus that he was tired. Suddenly his eyelids felt heavy, his limbs feeling like lead, his spirit practically dying. Dragging his feet to the side of the bed, Envy threw himself down onto the soft covers, burying his face into one of the large, supple, pillows. He curled his lithe body up underneath himself and contented on sleeping. Let them try and 'fix' him while he was asleep.

As Envy drifted away into the bliss of unconsciousness, he could hear someone at the door behind him. Whatever. It could only _be_ one of two people, and the shape shifter was certain neither of them was stupid enough to bother him while he was sleeping. Not that his body was about to let him rest now that it knew there was someone else present. It was like some sort of automatic defence he'd learned, not to sleep whilst others were conscious about him. But he could pretend.

"H-he's asleep," chibi-chan's voice said softly. "I guess he was tired…" No doubt the alchemist was talking to Lust. Either that, or the boy had finally lost his mind.

Envy could hear Lust's heels, even on the carpeted floor. He really did appreciate the heightened senses that came with being a homunculus. "So he is," her voice muttered in response, "I've never seen him do that before. It's usually quite the task for us to even get him in his room, much less sleeping."

The stupid bitch was talking about him like he was some sort of child with behavioral issues. If he wasn't so tired, and quite happy to refrain from further arguments, he'd have jumped up and ripped her face off. But he held back and decided it would be best to simply overhear their soon to be conversation.

Slowly, tentatively, Envy heard Ed approach the bed. What was the chibi thinking now? "Should we just leave him?" the young man asked, his weight lowering the far corner of the bed.

"Hmm," Lust mused aloud, "Might as well. I need to talk to you about him anyway. There are some things you should know before getting too involved with this."

A nervous hand passed over Envy's calf before the weight that had only moments ago been added disappeared. The shape shifter had to repress a shiver at the contact, needing to keep up the façade that he was asleep. Lust would _not_ be impressed if she found out he was intentionally messing with her.

Wait! Just what was she going to tell chibi-chan? It couldn't be much. After all, she didn't know all that much about him. The only people that were well versed on his past were Dante, himself, and that bastard who'd run away. Therefore, he had nothing to worry about and could simply allow himself to sleep. One of the others had even been courteous enough to close the door for him.

So, putting his already exhausted mind at ease, Envy adjusted his position for optimum comfort, and let sleep envelop him. Still, it bothered him. Why was he sleeping so much lately? And why was the sleep so restful? Sure, he didn't mind the actual respite from his otherwise stressful lifetyle, but why now? Chibi-chan must have had something to do with it, but what? Envy's mind was too tired and he lacked the willingness to think on the matter further. He could barely formulate a coherent thought, much less answers to his life's new mysteries.

"Damn it," he grumbled into his pillow, "Why me?"

To Be Continued...

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_In case any of you care to check, I recenlty went back through my story, made some editting changes, corrected this and that, added some stuff here and there, and reposted all the chapters. Although I think I only editted 1-10..._


	14. Chapter 14

_HAHA! Chapter fourteen at last. I can't believe it took me this long. But after I typed up and posted chapter thirteen, I worked on the first couple of paragraphs of this one, shut my laptop down and then didn't touch the thing for another three or four days. You see, I recently got a second job, meaning I now work six out of seven days a week (five as of this coming week (I took Tuesdays off)). Because of this, I come home dead tired, even though it's only ever eight thirty to nine o'clock and, after I do the dishes from a dinner I didn't eat, clear the table that I didn't sit at, and get my homework done, I don't have the will to write. So...I might have typed a paragraph or two every night before completely losing interst. That was a very BAD idea. Sure, it kept my sleep cycle fairly regular, but it killed my inspiration. And so, when I picked it up tonight after writing my essay, I had NO idea what to write. Nothing. I had to re-read the last three chapters. And even then I just wrapped this one up pathetically. So I'm really sorry for the low quality you may very well see in this chapter. Please forgive me! -bows head in shame- I promise to try harder. And, I know this has become blatantly obvious since chapter two, but I've clearly gone on a large tangent from the original story line. And, no, I don't plan to go back to it. Sorry..._

_So, now that I've cleared all that up, enjoy chapter fourteen. We are officially near the end!!_

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Edward Elric was caught more than a little off guard by Envy's sudden change of mood. In the span of less than five minutes, Envy had gone from scathingingly angry, to quietly docile, to ice cold. The alchemist had understood the initial fury; after all, he and Lust were teaming up against the shape shifter and forcing him to do something he was clearly opposed to. But the sudden show of submission? Ed hadn't expected taking Envy's hand to have had that much of an effect. Not that he minded really. However, at the door to the room, Envy had become cold and distant, snapping away from the blonde as if he were some kind of disease, only to run off and ignore the presence of the others all together..

Ed followed several steps behind the homunculus as Envy scurried about the hotel room, not sure where his mood would swing next and choosing to remain a safe distance away. Things _seemed_ safe enough; the entire time looking like just another moment of exploration for the shape shifter. So, it appeared only natural when Envy turned his curious attention to the upper floor. Ed continued to follow the other man, having lost track of what had happened to Lust some time before. She was inside, that's all that mattered.

However, as Envy paused at the top of the stairs, Edward was forced to stumble slightly in order to keep his 'safe distance'. Stupid, silent moving, homunculi. The alchemist couldn't help but send an irritated glare to the back of Envy's head; sure, it didn't _truly_ accomplish anything, but it made him feel better. Then, once again, Envy took up his inspecition, shuffling off to the far left side of the upper floor. When he went to move after the homunculus, his ears picked up the sound of high heels on the stairs behind him. Glancing back, Ed found Lust ascending gracefully until she was only one step below.

"Why are you following him?" she asked with apparent sincerity.

The blonde shrugged. "I'm not sure," he answered, "I guess I don't want him hurting himself…or wrecking anything."

Lust stared at the boy momentarily before a small smile crossed her face. Just what was she thinking? But the woman didn't give Ed time to ask or think further on the matter. She simply said, "You're losing him," and walked past him to the top of the stairs.

Blinking stupidly after her, Ed darted up the stairs. He hadn't understood that look at all. It was as if she'd realized something that even _he_ hadn't. But what? Ed found the perplexing homunculus standing at the foot of the main bed, gesturing grandly to indicate that Envy had gone to into the attached room. The alchemist nodded his thanks and quietly moved to see what the shape shifter was up to.

Ed was more than a little surprised to find that the emerald haired homunculus had thrown himself carelessly upon the bed, his androgynous face buried into one of the large pillows, his arms tucked beneath. He looked disheveled, if not like a hurt teenager. And if the lack of the reaction to Ed's presence was any indication, Envy was asleep as well.

Glancing over his shoulder at Lust, Ed muttered, "H-he's asleep. I guess he was tired…"

The woman looked over and sighed softly, walking over to look past the alchemist. "So he is," she said with a hint of muted disbelief, "I've never seen him do that before. It's usually quite the task for us to even get him in his room, much less sleeping."

Ed shuffled quietly into the room and sat down on the corner of the bed, looking over Envy's prone form. Yes, the homunculus was definitely asleep. Ed hadn't realized just how tired the other man must have been. But why? He'd seemed fine.

As he let his weight sink in more comfortably, Ed asked, "Should we just leave him?" It was an honest question. If they really were trying to help him, shouldn't they wake him? Or would letting the shape shifter sleep actually prove more beneficial in the long run?

"Hmm," Lust pondered aloud, "Might as well. I need to talk to you about him anyway. There are some things you should know before getting too involved with this."

She was right. Ed had to know as much about Envy as he could before diving head first into this engagement he'd so inadvertently committed himself to. Something had compelled him to dedicate his full attention to this new task. Envy _had_ to be helped, if not for everyone at least himself. And Ed really did feel concern for that pain the homunculus always showed, whether consciously or not.

Reaching out tentatively, Ed ran his hand fleetingly along the shape shifter's firm calf, sensing a mild tension as his digits caressed the skin. It must have been reactionary. He then stood up and moved out of the room, only preceded by Lust as he reached the door. Instinctively, the alchemist closed the door to the room behind him. At least Envy could rest in peace.

"So," Ed sighed, "What did you want to tell me?"

Lust sat down on the other bed and frowned slightly. "I think the main thing is the reason he's so…antisocial," she answered after a moment.

Antisocial? Did homunculi always downplay their interaction issues so much? Whatever. The blonde merely nodded his understanding, silently urging her on.

"He's scared of being hurt again," Lust said slowly, apparently gussing just how much she should reveal. "As a human, he was a lot like you. Young, intelligent, willing to learn, and a part of a family. But after he died? Those that he called 'family' deserted him. I don't know the specific details of it all, but he was hurt. They never came back for him. He'd become a monster to them; the 'son' he'd once been now dead to those he held dear. And that abandonment cut him deeper than anything else. He scorned humanity after that, blaming them for his pain. After all, _he_ hadn't asked to be brought back, to become this…monstrosity. And yet…he was left alone as if it had all been his fault. Do you understand, Fullmetal?"

Envy had been deserted? He'd been disowned, rejected, and left for dead for four hundred years? And it had been by someone related to _Ed_? But that was…who could…? Words escaped the alchemist. Images of how he and his brother had run from their own mistake flashed through his mind. How many of the other homunculi had been through that same torture; left as soon as they were created as if their existence was somehow _their _fault? No wonder they felt so bitter, no wonder they longed for their humanity. If they were human, would they be accepted once again? Would they no longer have to be alone? But then, if that was the case, why did Envy reject even being a human? Why did he refuse that chance?

Locking his eyes with Lust's, Ed asked that very question. "Haven't you all been…?" he started shakily, "I mean…that's why you want to be human, right? So you can be…'normal' again." Lust nodded quiet confirmation, the subject clearly upsetting to her. The alchemist quickly changed it to get to the point, pressing on, "Then why does Envy not want to be human? Why doesn't _he_ want to end his suffering?"

"Because he blames humans for his pain; their ignorance and fickle tendencies making him sick. He doesn't want to become that which ruined his existence for him." Her bright violet eyes seemed to be pleading for the blonde's understanding. "Don't you see, Fullmetal? He wants to outlive all who remind him of everything he's suffered so he can find some sort of peace. He doesn't realize that will never happen; his suffering is caused by his own solitude, his own existence. Yet…he's afraid to get close to anyone anymore. He doesn't want to be deserted again."

Ed stared at the floor, thinking as hard as he could without breaking down. He'd never realized that, maybe, the homunculi weren't the true villians. Everything had always seemed so black and white before; good was good, evil was evil. But those lines were being smeared into one another, the homunculi seeming almost justified, the alchemists almost depraved in what they did. Just how many wrongs had been committed in the guise of rights? How many innocent lives had been lost at the hands of those claiming moral high ground? And which side was right? Which one was wrong? Was there _even _a right or wrong??

Suddenly, Ed found Lust's hand on his shoulder. He looked up quickly, meeting her concerned gaze. "You can back out now Fullmetal," she whispered, "I won't say anything. Take your things and leave if this is too much." A small smile touched her pretty lips. "Envy won't mind."

"No," the alchemist mumbled slowly, forming the words as he went. "I…I can't do that now. He needs someone, anyone, to stand by him. Someone that he _won't _think is simply 'under orders' or 'forced' to be near him. I see that much now. Someone…needs to teach him to trust again."

The female homunculus held Ed's face gently in place, staring him down with an almost scrutinizing air. "Do you think you can do that for him?" she asked, deadpan. "You aren't afraid of him, or forcing yourself?"

Ed scoffed and smiled cynically. "Of course I'm afraid of him; who wouldn't be?" Gradually, his smile faded. "But…forcing myself? I'm…not sure." Blushing furiously, Ed cursed himself. He had to ask her something, had to clarify something before he went any further. But could he actually bring himself to do it? Could he sacrifice that much dignity?

"Is something on your mind, Fullmetal?" Lust inquired. "If there is, say it now. I can't be here much longer."

It was now or never. Taking a deep breath, Ed sputtered gracelessly, "Well, I-I need y-your opinion on s-something."

As if Ed _hadn't_ tripped all over himself, Lust pressed placidly, "And just what do you need my opinion on?"

"I-if I…enjoy Envy's, uh, 'company', what does that mean?" Why did he sound so _stupid_?! What was it with him lately?! He'd never felt so lost, so confused, and it bothered him. Everything in his life before had been so clear, had made so much sense. Everything could be explained with science or logic or some other sensible way. But this?? No; he was completely lost.

Lust's forehead was creased with mild confusion. "Just what kind of enjoyment are we talking about? Is it hormonal or emotional?"

"I-I'm not sure," Ed mumbled awkwardly. He wasn't going to lie about it. _He_ wasn't even sure just 'how' he enjoyed his time with Envy. Wasn't that why he was asking for her help?

Sighing heavily, Lust tried again. "Ok, let me reword that then," she offered, "What happens to you, physically, when he - oh, I don't know - holds you?"

The alchemist could feel the heat on his face and couldn't bear to meet her gaze. How could she say everything so casually?! They weren't discussing the weather!! But he had to answer her, obviously, or he wasn't going to get the help he needed. Slowly, hesitantly, Ed managed to vocalize what little he knew. "Well…I usually flush and feel awkward when he initiates it. I mean, I'm never expecting it. But…after the initial shock? I guess it's kind of…comfortable. I feel…needed, wanted, adored."

"Loved?"

Ed practically jumped out of his skin. "N-no!! I mean…well maybe…I don't think either of us…he might…" The blonde shook his head adamantly. "I'm not sure that's the word I'd use," he finally responded intelligibly.

She smiled almost warmly at him. "You do know, Fullmetal, that I only asked for your _physical_ reaction, don't you?" the woman asked, "You answered almost completely psychologically."

Had he?! What did that mean? Did it mean anything?? Was she trying to get at something?? "I don't understand," Ed replied, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"If you instinctively associate Envy with actual emotional and mental states of being, I can only imagine it's not the sex that draws you to 'enjoy his company'," Lust answered, her smile having become quite knowing. "You love him don't you?"

"L-love Envy?!" Ed was almost postive that his face had become a shade of red so close to purple that he'd look like he was choking. No!! He couldn't _love_ the homunculus!! That didn't make sense! Why would he…? "Why would you say that!!" the alchemist demanded louder than he had intended.

Lust had crossed her arms across her waist as she continued to speak as if it was mere everyday converstaion. "When he touches you, anywhere, you shiver. When you feel his breath on your face, you swoon. And when he finally kisses you, you reach a state of pure bliss. Am I mistaken, Fullmetal?"

Attempting to clear his head, Ed retorted, "Yes! You are!! I…I _can't_ love Envy!!"

A deep and criticizing frown darkened her face. "And why not?" she shot back.

"He's out to kill me! And he's my…my enemy! It's all just been a game to him, and it's…it's the same for me." But, as the final sentence passed his lips, the words fell flat, dying as they hit the air, his eyes drifting away to the carpet beneath their feet. He knew how pathetic he'd sounded, but she _couldn't _be right. It had to be something else; perhaps his human compassion simply compelling his need to help. Anything but…_that_.

The female homunculus shook her head. "Fine, be that way," she sighed resignedly, "But you'll see it. Just as Envy will."

Ed's eyes snapped up from the floor. "Wh-what does that mean?" he asked slowly.

"You'll see," she repeated. Then, turning on her heel, she concluded, "I have to go. I already told you I couldn't be here the whole time. Why don't you just…sleep, Fullmetal? It could do you some good, I'm sure." And, without waiting for a response, Lust walked off down the stairs.

Staring blankly at her retreating form, Ed's mind raced. What was that last comment supposed to mean? Envy would realize what? And could he really be in love with Envy? Why? When had that even happened?! But the sound of the heavy hotel room door closing jarred Ed from his flustered contemplations. She was right. He had to sleep, or at least rest. Glancing over at the clock on the wall, he saw that it was only early evening, the sun had almost finished setting. And he still only had half of his usual outfit with him.

The alchemist sighed softly and shuffled downstairs to the large bathroom. He could at least attempt to clear his head with some cold water. Turning the tap on, Ed merely stared at the steady flow, his thoughts wandering to the sleeping shape shifter a floor above him. Envy always seemed so peaceful when he slept, yet, at the same time, he looked so sad. The way the homunculus had naturally curled into himself, the way he'd keep his face down, almost looked as if Envy was crying. But Ed knew the other too well. Envy had never cried, was probably incapable of such a thing. And that thought was almost enough to bring Ed to tears. Just how much did one have to suffer to reach that point?

A dull thud snapped Ed back to reality, the alchemist remembering that he'd left the sink running. Splashing his face several times habitually, the blonde decided to seek out the source of the sudden noise. It had come from upstairs, meaning it could only have been Envy. But why?

Turning the tap off and flicking the bathroom light off, Ed dashed up the stairs once again, noting that Envy's door was still closed. Had the shape shifter fallen rolled out of bed? And why did Ed care? Most likely, it was simply the idea that having Envy hurt himself wasn't going to make things any easier.

"Envy?" Ed tried, standing against the closed door, "Are…are you ok?"

No response. That could mean that he was either still asleep, or simply being stubborn. Whichever it was, Ed now had reason enough to open the door. And that's just what he did.

The room beyond was still dark, but enough light seeped past Edward's form to cast highlights on the main objects of the accomodation. What caught the alchemist's attention most, was the homunculus, standing with his back to the door, shoulders tensed and a broken radio between his feet. Just what had happened.

"En…"

But Ed was sufficiently cut off by a low, dangerous, growling. "What did she tell you?" Envy's threatening voice demanded.

Taking several instinctive steps backwards, Ed replied carefully, "I thought you were asleep."

"Don't ignore the question!" the homunculus snapped angrily, the volume and malice causing Ed to start. And still Envy wouldn't face him.

Ed didn't know what to say to the other. Just what had Envy heard? How long had the shape shifter been eavesdropping?

Voice back to a low, rumbling, snarl, Envy repeated, "Don't ignore me, chibi-chan."

"I-I'm not sure what you mean," the alchemist stammered involuntarily. He was on his guard, having dealt with Envy more in this state than others. If the bastard threw a punch, Ed was ready to dodge and counter. After all, that had proven to be his best shot against homunculi.

"Fuck, chibi-chan!" Envy barked, "Don't play this game with me! I don't have time for this shit!!" Had the shape shifter's voice hitched or had that been Ed's imagination? Had there been a break there, an emotional slip? Why? And why did it sound like pain?

Sighing heavily and trying to adopt the same calm Lust possessed around Envy, Ed tried again. "Just what is it that you want to know about?" he inquired softly, "She…she said a lot."

Envy's shoulders had dropped somewhat, his head lowering. Was that resignation or regret? Was he just tired or actually depressed? Why wouldn't he face the alchemist? Ed was beginning to worry. He'd never seen Envy assume such a posture before, nor had he ever seen Envy get so worked up and not attack the blonde. Something was wrong.

Slowly, the homunculus answered, his venomous tone having died significantly. Now he sounded exhausted. "What made you yell, chibi-chan?" he replied, "What made you question what she said?"

Ed's face flushed. No, he couldn't repeat that!! It…it was a load of crap anyway! "It was nothing important," Ed answered, managing to keep his voice fairly level, "She just told me I could leave; if I was scared or something, you know?"

"You're lying to me!" Envy shouted, a hint of injured betrayl underlying his words.

"Fine!" Ed shot back, tired of being yelled at. He hadn't done anything wrong. Envy was just bitching again, and the alchemist was not going to be the homunculus' verbal punching bag anymore. "She said I loved you!! Are you happy now?!" But even as the words left Ed's mouth, he kicked himself. Shit. He shouldn't have said anything. This was going to get awkward.

Deafening silence reigned between them, Ed clenching and unclenching his fist. Why wouldn't Envy say anything? Why wouldn't he turn around? What had Ed just done?

Slowly, the words barely audible and coming after what felt like an eternity, Envy mumbled, "Love? Me?" Then a low and derisive laugh broke forth, beginning as a muted snickering until it crescendoed to an echoing sound, easily filling the small room. But Ed could hear the cynicism in it all too clearly. Envy was mocking not only Lust's idea, but himself; or at least his odds of being 'loved'. As the homunculus calmed himself, he sneered darkly, "And just what made her say that chibi-chan?"

"What do you care?" Ed snorted, trying to remain indifferent to Envy's self-deprecation. "You need something _else_ to laugh at?"

The shape shifter shrugged offhandedly, still facing the opposite wall. "I really don't, I suppose," he mused vocally, "But I _do_ care about how you answered. 'No', I assume? Rabid denial?"

Pretty much. Not that Ed was going to verify that for him. Now that he knew _why_ Envy was so hurtful and reluctant to be around people, the last thing the alchemist needed to do was ruin things by admitting to Envy he couldn't be loved. So, instead, Ed tried, "I was a little shocked, but she left before I could say anything."

"Bullshit, chibi-chan," Envy corrected yet again, "I was listening, remember? I heard her heels leave _well_ after you shouted. You get one more try."

Shit! Damned homunculi and their heightened senses!! Now what was he supposed to do? Sighing heavily, Ed realized that if he continued to lie to someone who could, obviously, sniff it out, he'd make things even worse than he would by telling the truth. The blonde couldn't look at Envy - not even his back - as he replied reluctantly, "Alright, you win. I…I refused to believe her. It's just a game, right? And we're just the players." God he sounded so lame!! And he'd used the same excuse that he'd used for Lust.

Ed could hear Envy move but couldn't be sure which direction. Apparently, the shape shifter had taken it upon himself to stand next to the frightened blonde. His voice hissed next to Ed's ear, dripping with venmous sarcasm, "Good answer, chibi-chan. Now step out, I'm tired."

"What?!" Ed's head snapped up, not quite sure why the homunculus' statement upset him so much. "That's all you're going to say?! 'Good answer'?!"

Violet eyes staring interestedly at the blonde, Envy queried, "What do you want me to say? Would you rather I question you further?"

He rose good questions, neither of which Ed could answer. And the look in Envy's inhuman eyes held Ed enraptured, the alchemist attempting to interpret it. Silence settled between them again, significantly more relaxed than the last as they merely stared at each other.

Finally, completely out of the blue, Envy whispered, "You're beautiful chibi-chan."

Ed's face darkened enough shades to be noticeable in the gloom of the small bedroom and the boy instinctively stumbled backwards. "Wh-what?!" he stammered, "What are you…?!"

But the homunculus simply raised a silencing hand. "Get out," he muttered, voice suddenly weary, face turned away, "I'm going to sleep." Then, without actually waiting to see if the other listened, Envy turned on his heel and threw himself back on the bed.

The alchemist looked at Envy's prone form in mass confusion. Why had Envy…? What had he meant? He was just messing with Ed's head again, wasn't he? That had to be it! But wait; that hadn't sounded planned at all. And the way _Envy_ had reacted…Then Ed remembered the broken radio. He never had found out if there was any particular reason why the homunculus had done that. However, now suddenly didn't seem like the time.

Sighing heavily, Ed mumbled without thinking, "I'm sorry." He then took his leave, closing the door quietly behind him. Envy needed space, that much was clear. But he also needed someone to be there, someone he could finally lean on. And Ed was determined to help the other discover that; was even willing to be that person for any required amount of time.

As he walked across the room towards the stairs, Ed saw that snow had begun to fall outside, highlighted by the bright moon hanging in the now darkened sky. That reminded him; his birthday was coming up. Al had promised to be back for that. No doubt he'd gone to Resembool in the first place to plan some sort of surprise. Whatever his brother had planned probably wouldn't top Ed's unplanned surprise though; he was babysitting a homunculus. The one out for his head, specifically. Yeah…that would go over well. Especially once the emotionally traumatic details were added to it all.

Ed reached the bottom floor easily enough. It was getting late, but he wasn't tired enough to sleep just yet. Arguing with the homunculus had made him think. What if what Lust had said held some merit, but in the other direction. What if _Envy_ was the one in love? And what if the homunculus didn't realize it? That would definitely explain the hints of fear when Envy was under the impression Ed was leaving. And the sudden compliance when Ed had taken his hand. But then…why did Ed feel so compelled to help, why did it bother the blonde so much when it looked like Envy was in pain? And why the hell did it feel so good to have the shape shifter hold him?! No one had made Ed feel the way Envy had; not since he'd first layed eyes on Rose. But he _had _loved Rose. So then…

Yelling in unbridled frustration, Ed slumped into one of the large armchairs and flicked on the radio. Might as well listen to something other than his own scattered thoughts. Besides, he might even get a hint as to what had upset Envy; if it had been something on the radio.

Soft music drifted from the small device, setting the alchemist's frazzled mind at ease. Ed'd large golden eyes slid shut, losing himself in the instrumental bliss. Yes, this was just what he needed. Several songs passed before a deep, older, voice crackled through. It began typically enough, summing up the information for the songs that had just played. But then the man said something odd.

"And now, we'd like to repeat the broadcast given to us by the military," he announced, slight static blurring some of the words, "There is a call out for any information regarding a missing person; Edward Elric. The sixteen year old was last seen at…" As the description trailed on - detailing Ed's last know whereabouts and general appearance - the blonde paled. The military was looking for him? And alerting all of Central to his disappearance? No wonder Envy had been upset. He must have heard the broadcast and cursed his life more so than usual. Damn it! Ed should have known Roy would try something like this. And he was going to be in so much shit if he got caught.

Getting to his feet, Ed flicked the radio off and weighed out his options. He could stay and hope the hotel managers - and guests who had seen them enter - didn't listen to the radio or pay enough attention to him. _Or_ he could run, report back to the military, make up some bullshit excuse for his disappearing act, and then pray to whoever would listen that Envy wasn't too mad about it all. Yeah…right. Both options left him screwed, risking more than he'd ever thought. But only one didn't put his life in potentially more danger than it already was. Looked like he was staying.

Ed looked at the stairs. Should he talk to Envy about it; assure him that he wasn't going anywhere? Or would that make things worse? He could never tell with the homunculus - what would set him off and what wouldn't. Feeling it would be best to just leave things as they were, Ed shuffled over to the bathroom. Might as well clean himself off before sleeping. A shower would be good for him.

The hot water served to calm Ed's nerves, washing away the dust from the holding cell, the dirt from Central's streets, and most of his tension from the past few days. Ed leaned heavily against the shower wall, simply allowing himself a moment's peace before stepping back out into the chaos. He stared at the white ceiling of the hotel bathroom, thinking of various approaches with which to use. And Lust's words inevitably began to haunt him again, echoing incessantly in his mind until something clicked.

"I love him," Ed muttered to himself, "I…I must." As if the shower had served to cleanse his doubts, Ed realized that, quite possibly, he'd fallen for Envy. The homunculus hadn't even tried to make him. Yet, over and over, every time he was with the shape shifter, Ed felt things he'd never felt before. The boy's 'novel' had worked for Ed because he'd had feelings to give into. He was here because he longed to end Envy's suffering. He knew it was wrong, that it was bad for him both mentally and physically, but there was nothing he could do. He longed to be held, to be kissed, to simply _be _with Envy. He'd fallen in love with his own enemy. And he'd come to terms with it, a feeling of surprising calm settling over him.

Turning the shower off and drying himself - transmuting an extra towel into a tank top at the same time - Ed redressed himself and shuffled upstairs, his long blonde hair loose and still slightly damp. His exhaustion had caught up with him at last, his mind oddly idle after his 'revelation'. All he wanted to do now, was sleep. However, as he reached the other bed in the large hotel room, Ed heard a sound he never thought he'd ever hear. Envy was crying.

Ed acted without thinking, his fatigue vanishing as he quickly crossed the room and pulled Envy's door open. Sure enough, the homunculus was sobbing mutely into a pillow, still face down where Ed had left him. In spite of this, Envy had also clearly noticed Ed's rather rude entry.

"Get out chibi-chan!" he snapped, voice still dangerously backbiting.

But Ed refused to listen. Not this time. Walking boldly towards Envy's bed and the shape shifter's rigid form, Ed made a quick note that the homunculus' sobs were lessening. He was trying to stop himself. God, why did he _do _that to himself?! As Ed reached the side of the large piece of furniture, the crying had stopped almost entirely, and Envy had quite visibly tensed every muscle in his lithe body. The alchemist didn't care. Crawling onto the bed, Ed laid down beside the shape shifter and wrapped his arms around the other's stomach, pulling them together.

Envy instinctively flailed, trying to pull violently away from the blonde. No; Ed wouldn't let him pull away, wouldn't let him hide from the help he so desperately needed. And so he continued to cling to the emerald-black haired man, nuzzling in against the back of his head, arms locked solidly around the other's waist.

Whispering next to Envy's ear, Ed reassured, "Shh, Envy, I want to help you."

"Shit all you do!" Envy snapped, "Let GO of me!!"

"No."

That simple one word answer ceased Envy's struggles completely, the homunculus suddenly falling still in Ed's arms. Out of the blue, Envy seemed fragile, like a bird with a broken wing; fearing any further pain yet knowing just how helpless it was. Ed could feel Envy's shaky breaths, could hear the tears building but being held back.

Ed had to say something, anything, to let Envy know it was ok. "Envy," he began softly, "I…I understand now why you are the way you are. I know why you're afraid, why you want to be alone. But you can't let one person ruin your life. I know what you're feeling. Not by any extent is it to the same degree, but I _know_ what it's like to feel deserted. I was lucky. I had my brother, Winry, practically all of Resembool, and my mom. You had no one, did you? And you've lived that way for four hundred years. God…it must have hurt so much…" Shit! Why was _he_ crying?! No, he didn't have the time to worry about himself, he had to set things straight. "I will do _anything_ to end your suffering Envy; do you hear me? I'm not going to leave you, not now, not ever. I…I love you." Ed had openly bared himself to the other man, had admitted feelings he himself had only just realized. Feelings that were not about to be believed.

"Shut up!" Envy choked out, "Shut _up_!! I don't want to hear it!!" But despite the shape shifter's adamant protesting, Envy made no actual move to dislodge the alchemist. He simply became vituperative. "I'm not an idiot chibi-chan!! You were just in here, _admitting_ to me that this was as much a game to you as it was to me. Don't fuck with me and start saying shit you don't mean!!"

The tears had started again, silent this time. But Edward could still feel the heaving and erratic movement of the other's body in its efforts to keep it that way. Envy had become so withdrawn, so wounded, so independent, that Ed was no longer sure if he _could _help him. Nevertheless, he would try. He had to.

Keeping his voice level, Ed consoled, "It's alright if you don't believe me. I…I barely believe me. But I'm not lying to you, and I'm not leaving you."

The alchemist kept his solid hold on the other as a prolonged silence stretched between them, broken only by the uneven breaths escaping the homunculus. Ed would probably never know just why it was he'd fallen in love with Envy, would probably never have his feelings returned. And yet, he didn't seem to care. All that mattered to him at that point was helping the other, no matter how much the shape shifter resisted or denied it.

Suddenly, in little more than a strangled whisper, Envy muttered, "This wasn't supposed to happen."

To Be Continued

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_Ok, so this is getting a little more angsty than I'd first anticipated. I'd completely forgotten that this story's secondary category was humor at around...chapter eight or so. Then I reviewed it online and was all, "OH CRAP!!" But I couldn't work any humor into this chapter...Sorry._


	15. Chapter 15

_Can you smell that? Huh? It's the end!!! I REALLY DID IT!!! I'm soooo sorry that it took this long. Like, over a month to get it done. But here it is. The final chapter. Where everything comes together. It's make or break time. And...I have no excuse for why it took so long. Sheer laziness I suppose. But that's all I really have to report on my life. _

_As par the usual, I have my thanks to give out to those of you who have supported me unendingly with their continuous and helpful reviews. Trust me I couldn't have done it without you guys sometimes. Here are the guests of honor: __**SeleneSoulwar, fan girl 666, willow of fire, let's point out the obvious, HaltiOvi, TraitorTatara, Nekyou86, **__and __**radcat38**__. An especially warm thank you - and many hugs - goes out to __**indigo's ocean**__. They have stayed by me since I started on this page, and have been kind enough to give me mass novels of reviews. They lift my spirts when they're down and keep me smiling. Thanks a bunch hun. And for those of you that I've failed to mention, I apologize. You __**ALL **__have made this story possible with your continued interest and reading. Thank you to EVERYONE who has put up with this story and my lack of intiative. _

_So, now that that's out of the way, enjoy the final chapter of, _Seeking Help

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Why? Why did it hurt so much? None of this should have affected him so much. So what if chibi-chan thought it was a game? That was the point, wasn't it? It was just another tactic, another angle. There was nothing more to it. So then why did the boy's words hurt him so much? Why did that obvious denial of any actual emotional attachment bother the homunculus? He'd sworn to never get emotionally involved with anything, both to himself and to Dante. Emotions were weak, were human. And he was neither.

Outside his room he could hear the alchemist shuffling away, no doubt headed downstairs for something. His automail made him significantly louder than Lust, and, hence, made his movements easier to follow. But why was Envy even listening?! He couldn't have given less of a damn if the boy left! He was here against his will anyway, wasn't he? They'd kidnapped him. But then he'd agreed to 'help' Envy. Bullshit. The alchemist was just appealing to Lust's human side, was just buying his way to escape.

But chibi-chan had apologized before leaving the shape shifter's room. Why? What had there been to apologize for? Lying to him? Damn it!! Why did all this happen now?! And Lust had left so there was no one for Envy to take it out on either.

More than a little restless, Envy sat up and stared blankly at the darkened wall across the room. There was a faint mark on it from where the radio had hit. That bastard Mustang. Why did he have to notice chibi-chan's absence? And worse yet, why did he have to make it public?! That stupid prick had to learn that chibi-chan belonged to the homunculi, not the military. The sooner he did, the better. But perhaps _throwing_ the radio had been overreacting. He'd wound up getting Ed's attention; something he'd wanted to avoid. After all, Lust had only promised the boy twenty four hours.

Downstairs, Envy heard the faint sound of Ed screaming at no one, shortly followed by the barely audible noise of the radio. What was the chibi thinking? What was bothering him so much? It was probably just the boy debating with his conscience whether or not to leave. Like that was a difficult decision. Yes, humans confused him.

Envy lost interest in the wall and fell back against the bed once again, noting vaguely that the shower had come on. How long had he been here now? How much time had ticked by that he'd simply sat in the dark? How much more would he have to waste before life just went back to normal? He didn't like any of this. He didn't like the changes, the betrayal - _Lust_ - or the confusion. Where had his black and white life gone; his simple visions of 'good' and 'evil'? Why was 'hate' now a word that confused him? And why did thinking about chibi-chan hurt now?!

Heat welled up at the corners of his eyes, a feeling utterly foreign to the emerald-black haired homunculus. There was a tightening in his throat and chest that he didn't recognize. And quite suddenly, he felt a slick tear slide down his face. What?! Since when did _he_ cry?! He…he didn't!! This was wrong!! Yet, he couldn't seem to control it. It was as if his eyes had taken on an identity of their own, acting out against who _he_ was. No!! He had to stop it, he had to regain who he was! But…just who was he?

The homunculus had spent the last four hundred years disguising himself as others, posing as various people to meet his master's demands and needs. He'd been men, women, children, fathers, mothers, lovers, leaders and traitors. And in it all, he'd somehow lost who he'd originally been. He couldn't even remember his own name. The dark hair that obscured his view wasn't his. The face that stared back at him in any mirror was never truly his own. The only thing that was his, the only thing he'd retained, was his hatred and his strength. His loathing of that man and his strength to carry on. And that was all that had mattered. And suddenly, he was losing both of those things.

"Damn it all!!" he choked out, barely recognizing his own voice through the unwanted tears. "Damn it…"

Succumbing to the fact that he held no control whatsoever over the tears, Envy rolled over, burying his face into a pillow so that he no longer had to feel the damn things on his face. He could feel his body's rough movements as he sobbed involuntarily and cursed every moment of it. Maybe, if he just let it go, it would stop. Whatever the case, Envy gave up resisting, if only for a short time. The homunculus simply let his mind go, slipping into a state of complete unawareness. At least, until chibi-chan came in.

He hadn't heard the boy approach. How stupid was he?! But he couldn't let chibi-chan see this weakness, couldn't let the alchemist see just how much Envy had been hurt.

Mustering as much of his viscious anger as he could, Envy snapped threateningly, "Get out chibi-chan!"

But Envy's ears, now tuned in Ed's direction, didn't hear the movement he wanted to hear. The shape shifter heard quite the opposite; instead of leaving, chibi-chan was coming closer. No, no, no!! Why now, of all times, did the stupid alchemist decide to get defiant?! No matter what the reason, Envy had to kill this show of weakness. Tensing his muscles, holding his breath, clenching his fists, and internally beating on himself, Envy managed to silence his miserable crying. Hopefully his new, clearly defensive, posture would deter the oddly bold blonde. Unfortunately, he was rudely and unexpectedly surprised yet again.

Chibi-chan had either ignored Envy's hostile attitude or was entirely blind to it as the younger man had, instead of backing off, laid down beside the homunculus and wrapped his arms about the shape shifter's waist. Envy panicked. What the hell was going on?! The homunculus flailed, gripping at the sheets beneath him to try and pull himself away. But the alchemist held on, even snuggling in against the clearly agitated other.

"Shh, Envy," the boy whispered, voice brushing past the shape shifter's ear, "I want to help you."

What?! He was lying!! He had to be! Continuing his struggles and desperate attempts to dislodge himself from the other, he snapped angrily, "Shit all you do! Let GO of me!!"

But the surprises kept coming. "No," chibi-chan answered back simply.

One of two things had to have happened in the past half an hour or so. One, the chibi had gotten significantly braver and his fear of Envy had lessened to practically nothing, or, two, Envy's threats were getting a hell of a lot weaker. Either way, chibi-chan's sudden rebelliousness shocked the shape shifter into a sort of submission. He couldn't bring himself to move, to struggle, to resist any longer. No one had ever held him like that; not since he was a child. The tightening in his chest had returned and he could feel those god forsaken tears building. Damn it all; why?!

Then, slowly, hesitantly, chibi-chan started to talk again. "Envy," he began softly, "I…I understand now why you are the way you are. I know why you're afraid, why you want to be alone. But you can't let one person ruin your life. I know what you're feeling. Not by any extent is it to the same degree, but I _know_ what it's like to feel deserted. I was lucky. I had my brother, Winry, practically all of Resembool, and my mom. You had no one, did you? And you've lived that way for four hundred years. God…it must have hurt so much…"

The boy's voice had hitched, caught up by a strangled gasp. And Envy could feel something against the back of his neck, something other than the alchemist's soft face. It was the same damp warmth that he'd felt stain his own face; Ed was crying. Why? Why didn't anything make sense anymore?! _What was going on?!_

But Ed pressed on, apparently not finished with what he was saying just yet. . "I will do _anything_ to end your suffering Envy; do you hear me? I'm not going to leave you, not now, not ever. I…I love you."

NO! No, no, no!! This couldn't be happening! That was…there was no way…the boy HAD to be lying!! No one could _love_ a homunculus; they were monstrosities, horrors, creatures whose very existence spawned dissonance. 'Love' was something they were incapable of both giving and receiving. This was just some sort of new plot to 'help' the shape shifter. And Envy would have none of it.

"Shut up!" he managed to get out, "Shut _up_!! I don't want to hear it!!" But despite the shape shifter's adamant protesting, Envy made no actual move to remove the alchemist anymore. Something deep inside of him refused to let him lose this moment of physical warmth. So he simply became vituperative. "I'm not an idiot chibi-chan!! You were just in here, _admitting_ to me that this was as much a game to you as it was to me. Don't fuck with me and start saying shit you don't mean!!"

Those fucking tears had returned again, streaming silently down the homunculus' androgynous face. His chest heaved to keep them quiet and Envy knew that chibi-chan was fully aware of the other's emotional state of being. No words could have possibly described just how much Envy hated himself.

However, the alchemist evidently wasn't satisfied yet; wasn't going to let this end with Envy's angered remonstrations. Instead, he continued his attempted consoling, whispering softly, "It's alright if you don't believe me. I…I barely believe me. But I'm not lying to you, and I'm not leaving you."

Silence stretched painfully between them, Ed's hold on him not once loosening. The only sound in the darkened room was Envy's own uneven breathing, hitching with his muted sobs. But the lack of interrupting noise allowed the homunculus' mind to wander over everything that had happened. It wasn't just this time in the hotel that had thrown his life completely out of sensible order. No; it had all started with his trip to the psychiatrist, with Lust's insistence that Envy _felt_ something for Edward Elric. And he'd gone with it; he'd played along. All along, Envy had believed he could use these ideas - these implications - to lash out against chibi-chan. But now? Now he was lying, sobbing, in the arms of the very person he'd tried so hard to hurt. His own strategy had been thrown back in his face, had been turned entirely against him. _He_ was the broken one.

Without thinking, Envy's strangled, wounded voice whispered pathetically, "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"I know," Ed replied, as if Envy had been speaking to him. The alchemist gave a soft, undecided, chuckle. "It's all so…sudden."

The homunculus laughed bitterly, finally composing himself enough to pry the chibi's hands away and sit up. "No," he snarled acrimoniously, "You _don't_ know. And don't ever pretend to know again, ok?" He was still crying, but he didn't care. He was not just going to lay there like some sort of hurt child; he was not going to give in and let Ed win.

"Envy, that's not what I meant!" Ed insisted, sitting up alongside the other.

Glaring the other down with shots of visual ice, Envy shot back, "I don't want to hear it, ok?! You preach all your crap, make your bullshit claims, and say what you want, but I'm not listening anymore! I'm not going to play your game or take your pity any longer." Swinging his legs off the bed, Envy got to his feet, back turned to the blonde. Something in him couldn't bear to look at the younger man. "I'm outta here," he snorted derisively.

The alchemist stumbled up after the shape shifter. "Envy, stop!" he called frantically, "Don't run out on me! I-I meant every word!!"

"And so did I," Envy sneered.

However, as the homunculus began to walk out, having had to walk around the bed, chibi-chan grabbed his arm firmly, the resolution to keep the shape shifter there obvious to anyone who looked in the blonde's large golden eyes. Envy met the determined stare with a violently malicious one of his own. How much more humiliation would he have to suffer before Ed had had enough?!

"Listen to me, please," chibi-chan begged.

Envy jerked his arm away. "I already told you that I'm not listening to you anymore. Sorry." Despite the fact that his face itched from the tears and he knew he looked like an emotional train wreck, Envy's confidence was returning. Perhaps that momentary lapse in strength was all he needed. Whatever the case, he was feeling more like his good old hateful self again.

And yet the alchemist still seemed determined to face the other down, to 'help' the homunculus. Ed remained positioned steadfastly between Envy and the door. "I heard what you said," he retorted, "And I don't care! I'm not going to let you just walk out of here when I _know_ what's hurting you; when I _know _that you're human under that cold exterior."

Human?! Lashing out, Envy caught the younger man by the throat, holding on with all the cruelty he could muster without killing the boy. "Don't _ever_ call me human again," the shape shifter hissed portentously, "I ceased to be human when I died, and I have no desire to ever start over, got that?" Envy then tossed the boy callously to one side, not bothering to check if he was alright as Ed hit the bed. "Later chibi-chan," he scoffed mockingly on his way out the door.

Behind him, he heard the alchemist cough harshly in an attempt to regain his normal breathing rate after the winding blow. Envy frowned slightly, but not in discontent as he usually would have. With every step he took away from the darkened bedroom, it felt as if some invisible grip was tightening on his heart. It pained him to leave. But he refused to acknowledge the pain. As far as he was concerned, it was just some left over emotions he'd forgotten to let out. They'd die in time, just as all the others had.

As Envy took his first step down the stairs and towards his freedom, the loud thump of automail on the carpeted floor behind him caught his attention. So, even after all that, chibi-chan was _still_ going to attempt to stop him? How amusing. The boy had guts, Envy would give him that. And his stubborn attitude rivaled the homunculus'. But Envy was cruel without remorse; that was his advantage. Timing the boy's approach perfectly, Envy spun quickly, planting an effective kick in the middle of the chibi's chest. Ed fell backwards, his own reflexes allowing him to catch himself and face the smirking shape shifter.

"Still leaving, chibi-chan," Envy teased, "Sorry."

Ed glared with frustrated intensity, shooting in retaliation, "No, you aren't. Not until you let me at least let me _try_ to help you!"

Cocking an eyebrow, Envy straightened himself so he wasn't facing the other at an angle. "I think I already did let you try, chibi-chan. And you lied to me." That pain that had been tugging at his chest ripped through him with a new force, bringing back that disgusting sting behind his eyes. Not again…

"I didn't lie to you!" the alchemist insisted.

The homunculus lost all humor in his stare, his tone deadpan. "Oh? You didn't?" he asked flatly, "Well then, that's odd. Because I could have _sworn_ you told me two completely contradictory things."

Ed's face flushed horribly, the blonde having been reduced to pitiful stammering at the blunt accusation.

Smiling in cynical triumph, Envy once again turned his back on the other and began walking down the stairs. The pain that plagued him now was an underlying, yet constant, drumming in his chest. But it was something he could ignore, something he'd learned to ignore. And as he reached the hotel room door, he paused, calling over his shoulder, "You got lucky, chibi-chan. But we'll be back, and much less accommodating next time."

The door closed heavily behind him, but he paid it no mind. It was time to get back to the mansion. No doubt Dante would be on her way home soon - likely within the next day or so - and she would be angry enough with the missing alchemist. If Envy was to be missing as well, she'd draw another one of her crazed conclusions and have him hunted down. It was safer for him to return home; not that safety ever really concerned him.

Envy stared blindly at the elevator dial, the arrow moving, unnoticed, towards the number which represented the floor he was on. It was over, all of it. He'd ended the ordeal by storming out, leaving chibi-chan in a giant hotel room on his own. A plan that had seemed so perfect had turned out to be the biggest mistake of his life. It had uncovered emotions and pain the homunculus had thought he'd successfully buried. And it had lasted for several days before he'd realized it. Damn his stupidity. But now it was over; he no longer had to worry about any of it. His life would get back on track, things returning to normal. They'd go back to hunting chibi-chan in an attempt to force him to create the Philosopher's Stone and the alchemist would go back to defying them to his last breath. That's how things were supposed to be.

A subtle ding caught Envy's attention as the elevator arrived and he padded silently into the oversized box. He clicked the button for the ground floor and waited for the large metal doors to slide shut. As they closed, the shape shifter noted the door to the hotel room he had just left swinging open. So chibi-chan _was_ still coming after him. Good luck to him.

The elevator began its slow descent, its passenger leaning heavily against the far wall. Just how much effort would chibi-chan put into following the shape shifter? And why did the blonde care so much? It's not like he actually meant it when he said…_that_, did he? Envy felt an unfamiliar heat on his face. He was blushing. He saw it in his reflection in the polished metal doors. But…if Ed had meant it, then why had he lied? Why was he always so cold? And then it hit the homunculus like a block of lead. _He'd_ been the cold one. Chibi-chan had reached out to him, had confessed to him, had fought him simply for the right to be with him. And Envy had jerked away from him like the boy was some sort of disease. The shape shifter felt a distinct sinking in his stomach and it wasn't from the elevator coming to a stop - which it had.

"No!" he scolded himself, as he walked into the main lobby, "He _wants_ you to think this crap! It's all part of his stupid little game. Just ignore it." Envy couldn't help but laugh at himself for having even _considered_ that the alchemist had meant it. For what felt like the hundredth time that evening, the homunculus reminded himself grimly that his kind couldn't be loved. No doubt the alchemist had simply been making his escape before other homunculi showed up to take him away again.

Once again, as he made his way through the overly ornate entryway, people stared. He smiled brazenly at them, throwing the occasional obscene gesture in the mix. It's not like he gave a damn about what these humans thought of him. If he had his way, they'd all be dead anyway. But now was not a time to test his luck with Dante. It was best he just head home. Apparently, though, the desk clerk had been told otherwise.

"Sir?" he quipped cautiously, "Um…Sir?"

Envy sighed heavily and turned reluctantly towards the suit behind the desk. He was a young man, probably in his mid-twenties, with wavy brown hair, bright green eyes, and olive skin. Not bad. Envy would have to keep that appearance in mind for one of his next disguises. But no matter how good the guy looked, Envy wasn't exactly in the mood for unwanted distractions.

Tilting his head expectantly, Envy demanded frostily, "What is it?"

Clearly, the clerk was nervous. Just what was on this kid's mind?? "Well, sir," he stammered, "Th-the woman you came in with earlier? She left specific instructions that we not let you leave until she's returned."

Was that so? Lust thought some spineless human _boy_ was going to keep him here? She'd lost her mind. Shrugging indifferently, Envy replied, "Too bad for her. I'm not staying. Other engagements."

"Sir, please," the man implored.

But Envy simply raised a silencing hand as he turned away and continued to walk out. Unfortunately, the homunculus hadn't counted on the boy to call for security. The shape shifter was met by two rather large, but well dressed, men at the doors. His violet eyes flicked over each of them separately. They looked like they'd been cut from the same ridiculous mold. Both had massively broad shoulders, heads that looked too small for their oversized torsos, fists big enough to crush a child's head, and dark shades. Huh…they really wanted to keep him here.

One of the burly men - the one with his mammoth arms crossed across his chest - looked down on the lithe homunculus, snarling out, "You should return to your room now sir."

"Is that so?" Envy asked impetuously. "I'd really rather not. As I've already said; other engagements."

"They'll have to wait sir," the second guard responded calmly, clearly not threatened in the least.

Envy frowned. Of course they weren't afraid of him. He wasn't exactly an imposing person to someone who had never dealt with him. Lust had obviously been under the impression that Envy wouldn't be willing to make a scene and would simply slink back to the room. Well, she was wrong. He didn't give a damn. After all, who was going to stop him?

Scratching at his head absently, Envy muttered, "Well, if that's how it's going to be…" A viscious smile flashed across his pretty face and with one graceful sweep of his leg, he'd knocked the first guard down. As the large man fell, the acrobatic shape shifter hopped off his broad shoulders, giving him enough height and leverage to land a solid kick against the other's face. However, the first one had merely knocked down, and grabbed Envy's left ankle. Eyes flashing dangerously, Envy used his other foot to kick the large man mercilessly in the chin, smiling sadistically at the sound the man's head made as it hit the stone floor. However, even in the oddly comforting afterglow of his swift victory, the homunculus noted that the clerk had panicked and gone for the phone. It was time for Envy to leave.

However, as he picked his way graciously over the guards' bodies, he heard chibi-chan's frantic voice. "Envy, wait!!!"

No, not this time. Ignoring the call, Envy bolted into the street, quickly changing form to look like his favored 'Eric'. There were very few people on the street, but there were enough for him to slip into and disappear. As he slowed his pace to a more casual walking speed, occasionally acknowledging this or that person he passed, he heard the sound of police sirens in the distance. Well, this would probably make a paper or two. Not that it really mattered. Sure, Dante and Lust would probably blow a gasket or two, but it wouldn't last. The military would most likely be on high 'homunculus' alert or something, but Pride would see that that gets blown over soon enough. In all reality, it was pretty minor.

Behind him, he heard some sort of ruckus in the small evening crowd. Whatever. It was more than likely just some drunk causing trouble. It didn't matter to him. The bastard wasn't bothering the homunculus. Or so he thought. Suddenly, he found his arm being grabbed, flet himself being turned against his will. He resisted the urge to throw whoever it was through the nearest window, as he was trying to disguise himself as a typical Central citizen. But he found himself staring at Ed. Shit…

The alchemist was breathing heavily, no doubt having run after the shape shifter in order to catch up. His large eyes still held that unnerving determination that Envy couldn't interpret, and there was a small smile playing on his lips.

"You should have picked a different disguise," chibi-chan teased softly, barely audible over the muted conversation of the crowd moving around them.

Envy smiled sarcastically. "I didn't expect you to follow me," he replied.

Moving his hand from Envy's arm to the shape shifter's hand, Ed asked with oddly sincere courtesy, "Can I talk to you?"

"I already said no, chibi-chan," Envy scoffed, refusing to meet the other's gaze any longer. It pained the homunculus too much to see that sincerity directed at him, to see that concern for his feelings.

Ed tightened his grip on Envy's hand, pulling the older man in closer. "Please, just ten minutes."

The heat was on Envy's face again and he hated it. Chibi-chan had never been so publicly affectionate before and it bothered Envy. The boy was obviously desperate to say whatever it was he wanted to say. Giving in, Envy snorted, "Fine. But _only_ ten minutes." What could it hurt to hear the alchemist out?

Smiling, Ed kept his hold on Envy's hand and led the other man to a nearby café. Lucky for them it was open late. The blonde ordered both of them a coffee simply to get the waiter out of their way. It was apparent the boy had no interest in the beverage whatsoever. His focus was fixed entirely on the disguised homunculus.

"Can't you drop that?" Ed asked, frowning slightly.

Envy raised a cynical eyebrow. "After that scene I caused in the hotel? No."

Sighing, Ed nodded his understanding. "I guess that makes sense," he muttered, "But you brought that upon yourself."

"I did not!" Envy shot defensively, "Lust did. Her and her stupid secret deals with people. I'm so _sick_ of her right now!!" Taking a deep drink of his coffee, Envy then asked, "Now what did you want?"

Ed's face flushed slightly and he turned his eyes to the dark liquid in the cup before him. "I-I'm sorry," he started, "I didn't mean to hurt you back there. And I never meant to mislead you. I…I really do want to help you, Envy."

"I don't want your help," Envy shot back almost too quickly. "Besides," he attempted to clarify, "There's nothing I need help with."

The alchemist looked hurt, but only for a brief moment. "O-of course," chibi-chan mumbled, "I-I should have known." He lifted his eyes again, meeting Envy's stare and disarming the homunculus. "I meant it; when I said I loved you?"

Standing up quickly, his chair scraping the floor as he pushed it backwards, Envy hissed under his breath, "Stop _saying_ that. You don't _love_ me; you _want_ me. There's a difference, chibi-chan. They're called hormones, and _they're _responsible for the way you 'feel'." The shape shifter smiled darkly at the almost horrified look on the boy's face. "That's right," he sneered, "You get it now, don't you? Somehow, I don't think you'll need the last seven minutes."

"Envy, don't walk out on me again!" Ed's voice was a mixture of pain and frustration as he, too, got to his feet. "I'm sick of you running away!"

Envy turned around and glared at the younger man. "I'm not running from anything chibi-chan. I'm sparing your life." By now the two of them had drawn attention to themselves, and Envy cursed his luck. He made a mental note to _never_ go to a café again. Turning his back on the alchemist, Envy added, "Thanks for the coffee, chibi-chan, but I really do have other places to be."

Once again, the homunculus heard the other move to follow him, heard the blonde's determined footsteps. Oh, for the love of God!!

"WOULD YOU STOP FOLLOWING ME?!" Envy snapped, spinning violently around.

The blonde stumbled backwards, caught off guard by the other's outburst. And, spurred on by Ed's stunned silence, Envy pressed on.

"I am sick and tired of dealing with you, ok?! I don't want to do this anymore!! In the past three days, my life has become more fucked up then it ever has been before, and it's all because of you!! So just, get out of my face, ok? Just…just…fuck off!" And with that heated demand, Envy turned and practically ran from the café, dodging back into the evening crowd. He didn't bother changing appearances, he didn't care enough. But something in him ached horribly, like a horrible twisting that would rip every fiber of his being into tiny shreds. But he refused to think on it, refused to acknowledge it. For all he cared, it didn't even exist.

Once he was a fair way down the street, Envy hailed a taxi, muttering absently for the driver to take him to the derelict end of town. And, just like every time before, the human looked at him oddly, only to be dissuaded from such a thing when Envy shoved the wad of cash towards him. As a consequence, the driver got Envy to his destination in very little time, no doubt violating who knew how many traffic laws. What did Envy care? Shoving more cash in the human's direction, Envy stepped out of the cab and waved the man off. The shape shifter could see the large black sillhouette of the church and his feet made their way mechanically toward the place he called 'home'.

He reached the mansion easily enough, his mind empty the entire time. He didn't even notice Sloth as he walked past her, her soft voice not able to panetrate his wall of flustered thought. It wasn't until she lay her hand on his fleeing shoulder that he even realized she was there. And even then, he was expecting someone much different.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO…" But Envy managed to cut himself off as he found himself staring into Sloth's placid face.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. "Have a bad day, dear?"

Envy sighed heavily and massaged the bridge of his nose. God his head hurt. "Sorry about that," he muttered, "I'm a little edgy right now."

Taking Envy's hand in her own, she led him to the mansion's main sitting room and had him sit with her. Sloth stared at him with open concern, keeping his hand in her own. "Did you want to talk about it dear?" she asked softly.

"No!" he shot angrily, pulling away. Why had he even let her bring him this far? Shaking his head in vague confusion, he elaborated, "I'm tired, ok? I just want to get some sleep."

Sloth looked at him, but gave no rebuttal. Something in the way she stared scared him. Just what did she see? The shape shifter was afraid to know.

However, as he walked promptly out of the sitting room, he found himself faced with Lust. And, as he'd expected, she didn't look too thrilled to see him there. But he wasn't going to give her time to say anything, to ruin things more than they already had been. He simply continued walking, brushing coldly past her, knocking her hand away as she reached for him.

"Envy!" Lust called after him, "Come back here!"

He didn't even glance back over his shoulder. He didn't want to see her, to talk to her, to be near her. He just wanted to be alone. He made his way to his room well enough, Lust apparently not caring enough to follow after him. And as he opened his door, he found yet another distraction; his cat. And as he laid eyes on the animal, remembered just how much he'd put himself through, Envy broke down again, the tears flowing uncontrollably as he sank to the floor.

---

Several weeks passed before Envy was to see his chibi again. Dante had returned the day after Envy's miserable arrival from the hotel and had been furious at 'her' alchemist's disappearance. Lust had been dragged away for questioning, Envy receiving a 'talk' of his own. But her fury was short lived. After just over a day of her rants, screams, and general abuse, life returned to some semblence of normality. The homunculi had been given various individual assignments, all of which would lead in some way or another to their ultimate goal. None of them had once brought up the visit to the psychiatrist, nor had Lust ever spoken of the hotel. Meanwhile, Envy had rid himself of the kitten, not having been able to bear its presence any longer.

It was day twenty eight when Dante had called Envy to her, claiming to have a 'special' assignment for him.

"As you know, the Philosopher's Stone has been created," the master of the homunculi stated calmly, taking a dainty sip of her tea. "And seeing as you so openly defied my order's to go north, you might as well make yourself useful and retrieve it."

Envy frowned slightly. "Isn't that what Sloth went to do?" And Wrath had gone after her too. What did they need him for?

The woman sighed patiently, setting the mostly empty china cup on the table. "True, but I guess Lust has turned against us. You know her well enough to deal with it." A dark smile played across Dante's youthful face, twisting its general innocence into something almost disgustingly sinister. "Besides, Fullmetal's there. And last time we talked, I was sure you'd wanted to hurt him."

He'd figured as much. He wasn't stupid. And he wouldn't argue the point any further. After all, that's exactly what he'd said. When she'd told him - after explaining _his_ absense - that the Elric brothers had finally obtained the stone, all Envy could think was how good it would feel to take it away from them. How good it would be to finally watch the pain in chibi-chan's face, to finally know that the pain he'd suffered all those weeks ago was returned. So he bowed habitually on his way out, easily taking the form of Ed's beloved 'Winry'. What better way to hurt him then as his precious girlfriend?

Already well aware of where Sloth, Lust, and Wrath had tracked the boys to be, Envy easily made his way there. It was mid-afternoon as he arrived, and, apparently, things were just wrapping up. Envy took it upon himself to remain hidden behind one of the old building's many concrete pillars and simply watch the events unfold.

Sloth had been transmuted into something that clearly wasn't good for her, Wrath was injured from getting too close, Lust was nowhere to be seen, and the Elrics simply stood there, staring stupidly at the homunculus that was once their mother. And then she was gone, having evaporated in the room temperature environment, Wrath breaking into hysterical tears. Well, now was as good a time as any.

"Ed? Al?" Envy's voice was painfully unfamiliar to him. He'd never actually met the girl, simply seen her, made note of her. Now he had to pretend to be her.

The two boys spun around in shocked amazement. All things considered, their friend shouldn't have been there.

"Winry?" Ed muttered.

Al seemed a tad more frantic about it. "What's wrong?" the younger brother asked, "Did something happen in the village?"

Shaking his head to reassure the worried suit of armor, Envy corrected, "I was worried, so I came." Then he smiled faintly, sadly. "You finally beat her."

Apparently, that had blown his cover. "You're not Winry," chibi-chan growled, shoulders tensing. Someone wasn't happy to see him.

The younger Elric acted on his brother's accusation, moving towards the shape shifter. Envy had to think fast.

Saying the first thing that came to mind, Envy called out with forced emotion, "Al, please, I love you!"

That halted the boy in his tracks, giving Envy just the opening he was looking for. Moving swiftly forward, he twisted the large body's arm behind it and pushed the boy forward, forcing him into submission. Ed scoffed in frustration, but was clearly too afraid to make a move while the homunculus had his brother hostage.

"This is where it ends," Envy sneered, enjoying the look of utter defeat on his chibi's face. Yes, that's right, hurt like you made _me_ hurt.

"It's pointless," Al retorted, cutting into Envy's bitter memories, "I'm the Philosopher's Stone."

A mocking smile spread across the shape shifter's face. "What did you say?" he derided, shifting back to his own appearance, "Then you won't mind if I try something?" Flexing his hand threateningly, Envy added, "I wonder if you'll be ok if I break this." And reaching into the armour's hollow torso, Envy struck violently at the blood seal, feeling it cave under his strength.

The younger boy gasped, Ed panicked. "Stop it!!" chibi-chan cried hysterically, "Don't touch Al!!"

But the terror was unfounded. The younger Elric was fine; Envy had expected as much. Derisive smile still firmly in place, Envy ridiculed, "You don't have to worry. I'm only taking him to that person's place after all."

"That person…" Al mumbled in mild confusion.

On the contrary, chibi-chan knew exactly what Envy was talking about. Clever boy. "The one that Lust was talking about," the blonde growled, "The one controlling all of you! The person who was looking for the stone in order to become immortal."

Oh this was too good. Chibi-chan was making this too easy. "I dunno," Envy teased, "But let's just say that you aren't completely unrelated."

The shock that passed over the boy's face, that moment of realization and pain, brought cynical pleasure to the homunculus. He was finally getting the revenge he'd so longed for. Yet that wasn't all he felt. His joy was chased by a horrid aftertaste; something like the pain he'd thought he'd forgotten, the pain he'd suffered that night at the hotel. No! He couldn't lose face now. After all, chibi-chan was talking again.

"Could it be that the one controlling you took mom as one of his associates on purpose?" the small alchemist snarled dangerously, "That man is…"

"It can't be!!" Al had decided to cut in, obviously uncomfortable with whatever Edward was implying. "Father would never do such a thing!!"

Envy felt a blow hit those same emotions yet again. So they were talking about _him_. Well, whatever worked. As long as chibi-chan suffered. But Envy had no desire to stick around any longer. Hefting Al's large body onto his shoulder, he smiled, "Now, let's go."

Wrath, apparently, had different plans. Lunging forward, the smaller homunculus latched onto Envy's leg, preventing his exit. What was it now?!

"Hey, hey!" Envy managed, "You're aiming at the wrong guy! Hold him back." He gestured towards Ed with a nod of his head, hoping that Wrath would get the idea.

But the child was stupid or something, as he held on, pleading desperately, "That guy can do anything!!"

What the hell was he talking about? Chibi-chan? And then Envy understood. Wrath wanted the Philosopher's Stone. Like hell that was going to happen. "No," he snorted, "You can't touch him."

"If we use him, mommy will come back, right?"

That same pain ripped through Envy's body yet again. Why did Wrath care so much?! Homunculi didn't _have_ parents! They were solitary creatures, only ever taking solice in the presence of other homunculi, and even then the relationships were strained.

Sickened by the obvious show of weakness and dependence, Envy kicked Wrath away from himself callously. "Stop fooling around!" he snapped, noting that the child landed at chibi-chan's feet. Let him deal with Wrath.

As he turned and walked away - his good mood over Ed's pain having died - he heard chibi-chan call after him, shouting for his younger brother. But he also heard his movements stop. Clearly, Wrath had held him back. It was about damn time.

Branches snapped beneath the shape shifter's burdened weight, the younger Elric cursing and shouting the whole time. Envy paid him no mind. He'd done his job; the Philosopher's Stone was secured. And he'd even managed to hurt Ed emotionally, just as he'd aimed to do. It was a shame he hadn't been able to beat the little shit senseless, but Dante had told him only to recover the stone. Chibi-chan could die later. For now, he had to return to the mansion and deliver his package. Why did they have to live so damn far away?!

Several minutes into his walk, he heard the crunching of underbrush behind him. It was probably Wrath, finally attempting to catch up. But if that was the case, then why was he walking so slowly? Turning around, Envy swore violently. It was chibi-chan.

The teenager stood there, leaning heavily on his still flesh leg. Apparently his automail had been damaged at some point, which meant the alchemist had limped all this way. That would certainly explain why he looked so exhausted.

"Are you stupid chibi-chan?" Envy scorned, "I have no reason _not_ to kill you anymore."

Catching his breath as best he could, Ed said flatly, "I know that. But you have my brother, and I want him back."

Envy laughed contemptuously. "You think I'll just hand him over to you?" he asked with a broad, condescending grin, "Fat chance."

"Envy," the alchemist mumbled, "I don't want to have to fight you."

Glaring coldly, Envy shot back, "No fucking duh. Look at you! You can barely stand. Just turn around and walk away." Why was he giving chibi-chan the chance to run?? He _wanted_ to kill him, didn't he?

"Nii-san," Al piped up, "Y-you should listen to him. You're in no condition to fight him."

Ed shook his head defiantly, evidently refusing both of them. "No Al," he said with firm conviction, "I'm not leaving you here. I'm not leaving either of you."

What? What was that supposed to mean? Taking a cautious step backwards, Envy tried to remain disdainful. "Whatever, chibi-chan. You can't keep up with me on that leg of yours."

But the boy remained undaunted. "Envy, I'm not going to let you run away again," Ed pressed, "What I did back then…I shouldn't have let you leave. And now that you have Al…" A heartbreaking smile played on the boy's lips. "…there's no way I can let you go."

Al had fallen silent, no doubt confused as to what his brother was talking about. So chibi-chan hadn't told his beloved younger brother about their little fiasco. Well, Envy was sure they were both the better for that. But all this talk of those days aroused memories better left forgotten, and Envy couldn't take it.

Raking his free hand through his emerald-black hair, Envy retaliated, "Well you did let me go, and you did the right thing by it. There's nothing you could have done then chibi-chan, and there's nothing you can do now."

In spite of this verbal rejection, and much to Envy's surprise, the chibi closed the gap between them fairly quickly and kissed the shape shifter without reserve. The boy was lucky Envy was holding Alphonse the way he was.

Envy groaned and tensed his body, but chibi-chan had wrapped his arms about the other's waist, preventing escape. Slowly, the boy drew back, leaning his forehead against the homunculus' chest. Envy wasn't sure what to think, his mind firing ideas off faster than he could comprehend them. Chibi-chan had _never_ done that before.

"I love you," he whispered, still holding the shape shifter close, "I did then, and I still do now, no matter what you say to me."

The homunculus heard the younger Elric gasp. Yeah…that pretty much summed up how Envy felt too. There's was no way that, even after all this time, chibi-chan would hold onto that lie. But he couldn't believe him, refused to believe him. He wouldn't let himself get attached to someone; he wouldn't allow anyone that opening ever again.

Growling low in his throat, Envy warned, "Get off of me chibi-chan, or I'll break your neck."

Ed's head snapped up so that he could meet the homunculus' stare. Envy recognized the confusion, the hurt, the apparent feel of betrayal. The alchemist's mouth opened and closed several times, the boy clearly too lost in emotion to formulate anything to say.

"You have three seconds," Envy continued, keeping his eyes hardened and unyielding.

Relucantly, chibi-chan released Envy and took a number of steps backwards. That was all Envy needed. Winding up, the shape shifter planted a harsh kick to the center of the boy's chest, knocking the blonde backwards and into a tree. He watched unfeelingly as Ed's body slumped to the ground, winded from the blow and injured from his previous battles.

"Nii-san!" Al screamed, flailing in Envy's grip.

The shape shifter snorted and turned away. "Shut up," he scoffed at the younger Elric. And then, over his shoulder, "You'd best get over those 'feelings' of yours chibi-chan. Next time, I'll kill you."

However, as Envy walked briskly away, picking up his pace so as not to be caught again, he felt that twisting in his gut again. No, never again. Coldly, spitefully, Envy crushed the regret, the remorse, and walked on. His mission was complete. Let the 'rain' fall all it wanted.

_--End--_


	16. Alternate Ending

_Whoo!! Alternate ending!!! Ok, so it's _just_ the ending that's 'alternate', but you have to understand that I spent DAYS trying to decide how to end this story, and came up with both of the endings I'm posting. Because I couldn't choose between the two. So here's the second ending. Choose whichever one makes you happier. I'm just glad this whole ordeal is over... _

_-faints- OH! I'll put a bolded...something or other where the alternate part actaully kicks in so you don't have to re-read everything all over again. I know I probably should have just posted the alternate part, but what fun would that be??? -giggles- _

---

Why? Why did it hurt so much? None of this should have affected him so much. So what if chibi-chan thought it was a game? That was the point, wasn't it? It was just another tactic, another angle. There was nothing more to it. So then why did the boy's words hurt him so much? Why did that obvious denial of any actual emotional attachment bother the homunculus? He'd sworn to never get emotionally involved with anything, both to himself and to Dante. Emotions were weak, were human. And he was neither.

Outside his room he could hear the alchemist shuffling away, no doubt headed downstairs for something. His automail made him significantly louder than Lust, and, hence, made his movements easier to follow. But why was Envy even listening?! He couldn't have given less of a damn if the boy left! He was here against his will anyway, wasn't he? They'd kidnapped him. But then he'd agreed to 'help' Envy. Bullshit. The alchemist was just appealing to Lust's human side, was just buying his way to escape.

But chibi-chan had apologized before leaving the shape shifter's room. Why? What had there been to apologize for? Lying to him? Damn it!! Why did all this happen now?! And Lust had left so there was no one for Envy to take it out on either.

More than a little restless, Envy sat up and stared blankly at the darkened wall across the room. There was a faint mark on it from where the radio had hit. That bastard Mustang. Why did he have to notice chibi-chan's absence? And worse yet, why did he have to make it public?! That stupid prick had to learn that chibi-chan belonged to the homunculi, not the military. The sooner he did, the better. But perhaps _throwing_ the radio had been overreacting. He'd wound up getting Ed's attention; something he'd wanted to avoid. After all, Lust had only promised the boy twenty four hours.

Downstairs, Envy heard the faint sound of Ed screaming at no one, shortly followed by the barely audible noise of the radio. What was the chibi thinking? What was bothering him so much? It was probably just the boy debating with his conscience whether or not to leave. Like that was a difficult decision. Yes, humans confused him.

Envy lost interest in the wall and fell back against the bed once again, noting vaguely that the shower had come on. How long had he been here now? How much time had ticked by that he'd simply sat in the dark? How much more would he have to waste before life just went back to normal? He didn't like any of this. He didn't like the changes, the betrayal - _Lust_ - or the confusion. Where had his black and white life gone; his simple visions of 'good' and 'evil'? Why was 'hate' now a word that confused him? And why did thinking about chibi-chan hurt now?!

Heat welled up at the corners of his eyes, a feeling utterly foreign to the emerald-black haired homunculus. There was a tightening in his throat and chest that he didn't recognize. And quite suddenly, he felt a slick tear slide down his face. What?! Since when did _he_ cry?! He…he didn't!! This was wrong!! Yet, he couldn't seem to control it. It was as if his eyes had taken on an identity of their own, acting out against who _he_ was. No!! He had to stop it, he had to regain who he was! But…just who was he?

The homunculus had spent the last four hundred years disguising himself as others, posing as various people to meet his master's demands and needs. He'd been men, women, children, fathers, mothers, lovers, leaders and traitors. And in it all, he'd somehow lost who he'd originally been. He couldn't even remember his own name. The dark hair that obscured his view wasn't his. The face that stared back at him in any mirror was never truly his own. The only thing that was his, the only thing he'd retained, was his hatred and his strength. His loathing of that man and his strength to carry on. And that was all that had mattered. And suddenly, he was losing both of those things.

"Damn it all!!" he choked out, barely recognizing his own voice through the unwanted tears. "Damn it…"

Succumbing to the fact that he held no control whatsoever over the tears, Envy rolled over, burying his face into a pillow so that he no longer had to feel the damn things on his face. He could feel his body's rough movements as he sobbed involuntarily and cursed every moment of it. Maybe, if he just let it go, it would stop. Whatever the case, Envy gave up resisting, if only for a short time. The homunculus simply let his mind go, slipping into a state of complete unawareness. At least, until chibi-chan came in.

He hadn't heard the boy approach. How stupid was he?! But he couldn't let chibi-chan see this weakness, couldn't let the alchemist see just how much Envy had been hurt.

Mustering as much of his viscious anger as he could, Envy snapped threateningly, "Get out chibi-chan!"

But Envy's ears, now tuned in Ed's direction, didn't hear the movement he wanted to hear. The shape shifter heard quite the opposite; instead of leaving, chibi-chan was coming closer. No, no, no!! Why now, of all times, did the stupid alchemist decide to get defiant?! No matter what the reason, Envy had to kill this show of weakness. Tensing his muscles, holding his breath, clenching his fists, and internally beating on himself, Envy managed to silence his miserable crying. Hopefully his new, clearly defensive, posture would deter the oddly bold blonde. Unfortunately, he was rudely and unexpectedly surprised yet again.

Chibi-chan had either ignored Envy's hostile attitude or was entirely blind to it as the younger man had, instead of backing off, laid down beside the homunculus and wrapped his arms about the shape shifter's waist. Envy panicked. What the hell was going on?! The homunculus flailed, gripping at the sheets beneath him to try and pull himself away. But the alchemist held on, even snuggling in against the clearly agitated other.

"Shh, Envy," the boy whispered, voice brushing past the shape shifter's ear, "I want to help you."

What?! He was lying!! He had to be! Continuing his struggles and desperate attempts to dislodge himself from the other, he snapped angrily, "Shit all you do! Let GO of me!!"

But the surprises kept coming. "No," chibi-chan answered back simply.

One of two things had to have happened in the past half an hour or so. One, the chibi had gotten significantly braver and his fear of Envy had lessened to practically nothing, or, two, Envy's threats were getting a hell of a lot weaker. Either way, chibi-chan's sudden rebelliousness shocked the shape shifter into a sort of submission. He couldn't bring himself to move, to struggle, to resist any longer. No one had ever held him like that; not since he was a child. The tightening in his chest had returned and he could feel those god forsaken tears building. Damn it all; why?!

Then, slowly, hesitantly, chibi-chan started to talk again. "Envy," he began softly, "I…I understand now why you are the way you are. I know why you're afraid, why you want to be alone. But you can't let one person ruin your life. I know what you're feeling. Not by any extent is it to the same degree, but I _know_ what it's like to feel deserted. I was lucky. I had my brother, Winry, practically all of Resembool, and my mom. You had no one, did you? And you've lived that way for four hundred years. God…it must have hurt so much…"

The boy's voice had hitched, caught up by a strangled gasp. And Envy could feel something against the back of his neck, something other than the alchemist's soft face. It was the same damp warmth that he'd felt stain his own face; Ed was crying. Why? Why didn't anything make sense anymore?! _What was going on?!_

But Ed pressed on, apparently not finished with what he was saying just yet. . "I will do _anything_ to end your suffering Envy; do you hear me? I'm not going to leave you, not now, not ever. I…I love you."

NO! No, no, no!! This couldn't be happening! That was…there was no way…the boy HAD to be lying!! No one could _love_ a homunculus; they were monstrosities, horrors, creatures whose very existence spawned dissonance. 'Love' was something they were incapable of both giving and receiving. This was just some sort of new plot to 'help' the shape shifter. And Envy would have none of it.

"Shut up!" he managed to get out, "Shut _up_!! I don't want to hear it!!" But despite the shape shifter's adamant protesting, Envy made no actual move to remove the alchemist anymore. Something deep inside of him refused to let him lose this moment of physical warmth. So he simply became vituperative. "I'm not an idiot chibi-chan!! You were just in here, _admitting_ to me that this was as much a game to you as it was to me. Don't fuck with me and start saying shit you don't mean!!"

Those fucking tears had returned again, streaming silently down the homunculus' androgynous face. His chest heaved to keep them quiet and Envy knew that chibi-chan was fully aware of the other's emotional state of being. No words could have possibly described just how much Envy hated himself.

However, the alchemist evidently wasn't satisfied yet; wasn't going to let this end with Envy's angered remonstrations. Instead, he continued his attempted consoling, whispering softly, "It's alright if you don't believe me. I…I barely believe me. But I'm not lying to you, and I'm not leaving you."

Silence stretched painfully between them, Ed's hold on him not once loosening. The only sound in the darkened room was Envy's own uneven breathing, hitching with his muted sobs. But the lack of interrupting noise allowed the homunculus' mind to wander over everything that had happened. It wasn't just this time in the hotel that had thrown his life completely out of sensible order. No; it had all started with his trip to the psychiatrist, with Lust's insistence that Envy _felt_ something for Edward Elric. And he'd gone with it; he'd played along. All along, Envy had believed he could use these ideas - these implications - to lash out against chibi-chan. But now? Now he was lying, sobbing, in the arms of the very person he'd tried so hard to hurt. His own strategy had been thrown back in his face, had been turned entirely against him. _He_ was the broken one.

Without thinking, Envy's strangled, wounded voice whispered pathetically, "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"I know," Ed replied, as if Envy had been speaking to him. The alchemist gave a soft, undecided, chuckle. "It's all so…sudden."

The homunculus laughed bitterly, finally composing himself enough to pry the chibi's hands away and sit up. "No," he snarled acrimoniously, "You _don't_ know. And don't ever pretend to know again, ok?" He was still crying, but he didn't care. He was not just going to lay there like some sort of hurt child; he was not going to give in and let Ed win.

"Envy, that's not what I meant!" Ed insisted, sitting up alongside the other.

Glaring the other down with shots of visual ice, Envy shot back, "I don't want to hear it, ok?! You preach all your crap, make your bullshit claims, and say what you want, but I'm not listening anymore! I'm not going to play your game or take your pity any longer." Swinging his legs off the bed, Envy got to his feet, back turned to the blonde. Something in him couldn't bear to look at the younger man. "I'm outta here," he snorted derisively.

The alchemist stumbled up after the shape shifter. "Envy, stop!" he called frantically, "Don't run out on me! I-I meant every word!!"

"And so did I," Envy sneered.

However, as the homunculus began to walk out, having had to walk around the bed, chibi-chan grabbed his arm firmly, the resolution to keep the shape shifter there obvious to anyone who looked in the blonde's large golden eyes. Envy met the determined stare with a violently malicious one of his own. How much more humiliation would he have to suffer before Ed had had enough?!

"Listen to me, please," chibi-chan begged.

Envy jerked his arm away. "I already told you that I'm not listening to you anymore. Sorry." Despite the fact that his face itched from the tears and he knew he looked like an emotional train wreck, Envy's confidence was returning. Perhaps that momentary lapse in strength was all he needed. Whatever the case, he was feeling more like his good old hateful self again.

And yet the alchemist still seemed determined to face the other down, to 'help' the homunculus. Ed remained positioned steadfastly between Envy and the door. "I heard what you said," he retorted, "And I don't care! I'm not going to let you just walk out of here when I _know_ what's hurting you; when I _know _that you're human under that cold exterior."

Human?! Lashing out, Envy caught the younger man by the throat, holding on with all the cruelty he could muster without killing the boy. "Don't _ever_ call me human again," the shape shifter hissed portentously, "I ceased to be human when I died, and I have no desire to ever start over, got that?" Envy then tossed the boy callously to one side, not bothering to check if he was alright as Ed hit the bed. "Later chibi-chan," he scoffed mockingly on his way out the door.

Behind him, he heard the alchemist cough harshly in an attempt to regain his normal breathing rate after the winding blow. Envy frowned slightly, but not in discontent as he usually would have. With every step he took away from the darkened bedroom, it felt as if some invisible grip was tightening on his heart. It pained him to leave. But he refused to acknowledge the pain. As far as he was concerned, it was just some left over emotions he'd forgotten to let out. They'd die in time, just as all the others had.

As Envy took his first step down the stairs and towards his freedom, the loud thump of automail on the carpeted floor behind him caught his attention. So, even after all that, chibi-chan was _still_ going to attempt to stop him? How amusing. The boy had guts, Envy would give him that. And his stubborn attitude rivaled the homunculus'. But Envy was cruel without remorse; that was his advantage. Timing the boy's approach perfectly, Envy spun quickly, planting an effective kick in the middle of the chibi's chest. Ed fell backwards, his own reflexes allowing him to catch himself and face the smirking shape shifter.

"Still leaving, chibi-chan," Envy teased, "Sorry."

Ed glared with frustrated intensity, shooting in retaliation, "No, you aren't. Not until you let me at least let me _try_ to help you!"

Cocking an eyebrow, Envy straightened himself so he wasn't facing the other at an angle. "I think I already did let you try, chibi-chan. And you lied to me." That pain that had been tugging at his chest ripped through him with a new force, bringing back that disgusting sting behind his eyes. Not again…

"I didn't lie to you!" the alchemist insisted.

The homunculus lost all humor in his stare, his tone deadpan. "Oh? You didn't?" he asked flatly, "Well then, that's odd. Because I could have _sworn_ you told me two completely contradictory things."

Ed's face flushed horribly, the blonde having been reduced to pitiful stammering at the blunt accusation.

Smiling in cynical triumph, Envy once again turned his back on the other and began walking down the stairs. The pain that plagued him now was an underlying, yet constant, drumming in his chest. But it was something he could ignore, something he'd learned to ignore. And as he reached the hotel room door, he paused, calling over his shoulder, "You got lucky, chibi-chan. But we'll be back, and much less accommodating next time."

The door closed heavily behind him, but he paid it no mind. It was time to get back to the mansion. No doubt Dante would be on her way home soon - likely within the next day or so - and she would be angry enough with the missing alchemist. If Envy was to be missing as well, she'd draw another one of her crazed conclusions and have him hunted down. It was safer for him to return home; not that safety ever really concerned him.

Envy stared blindly at the elevator dial, the arrow moving, unnoticed, towards the number which represented the floor he was on. It was over, all of it. He'd ended the ordeal by storming out, leaving chibi-chan in a giant hotel room on his own. A plan that had seemed so perfect had turned out to be the biggest mistake of his life. It had uncovered emotions and pain the homunculus had thought he'd successfully buried. And it had lasted for several days before he'd realized it. Damn his stupidity. But now it was over; he no longer had to worry about any of it. His life would get back on track, things returning to normal. They'd go back to hunting chibi-chan in an attempt to force him to create the Philosopher's Stone and the alchemist would go back to defying them to his last breath. That's how things were supposed to be.

A subtle ding caught Envy's attention as the elevator arrived and he padded silently into the oversized box. He clicked the button for the ground floor and waited for the large metal doors to slide shut. As they closed, the shape shifter noted the door to the hotel room he had just left swinging open. So chibi-chan _was_ still coming after him. Good luck to him.

The elevator began its slow descent, its passenger leaning heavily against the far wall. Just how much effort would chibi-chan put into following the shape shifter? And why did the blonde care so much? It's not like he actually meant it when he said…_that_, did he? Envy felt an unfamiliar heat on his face. He was blushing. He saw it in his reflection in the polished metal doors. But…if Ed had meant it, then why had he lied? Why was he always so cold? And then it hit the homunculus like a block of lead. _He'd_ been the cold one. Chibi-chan had reached out to him, had confessed to him, had fought him simply for the right to be with him. And Envy had jerked away from him like the boy was some sort of disease. The shape shifter felt a distinct sinking in his stomach and it wasn't from the elevator coming to a stop - which it had.

"No!" he scolded himself, as he walked into the main lobby, "He _wants_ you to think this crap! It's all part of his stupid little game. Just ignore it." Envy couldn't help but laugh at himself for having even _considered_ that the alchemist had meant it. For what felt like the hundredth time that evening, the homunculus reminded himself grimly that his kind couldn't be loved. No doubt the alchemist had simply been making his escape before other homunculi showed up to take him away again.

Once again, as he made his way through the overly ornate entryway, people stared. He smiled brazenly at them, throwing the occasional obscene gesture in the mix. It's not like he gave a damn about what these humans thought of him. If he had his way, they'd all be dead anyway. But now was not a time to test his luck with Dante. It was best he just head home. Apparently, though, the desk clerk had been told otherwise.

"Sir?" he quipped cautiously, "Um…Sir?"

Envy sighed heavily and turned reluctantly towards the suit behind the desk. He was a young man, probably in his mid-twenties, with wavy brown hair, bright green eyes, and olive skin. Not bad. Envy would have to keep that appearance in mind for one of his next disguises. But no matter how good the guy looked, Envy wasn't exactly in the mood for unwanted distractions.

Tilting his head expectantly, Envy demanded frostily, "What is it?"

Clearly, the clerk was nervous. Just what was on this kid's mind?? "Well, sir," he stammered, "Th-the woman you came in with earlier? She left specific instructions that we not let you leave until she's returned."

Was that so? Lust thought some spineless human _boy_ was going to keep him here? She'd lost her mind. Shrugging indifferently, Envy replied, "Too bad for her. I'm not staying. Other engagements."

"Sir, please," the man implored.

But Envy simply raised a silencing hand as he turned away and continued to walk out. Unfortunately, the homunculus hadn't counted on the boy to call for security. The shape shifter was met by two rather large, but well dressed, men at the doors. His violet eyes flicked over each of them separately. They looked like they'd been cut from the same ridiculous mold. Both had massively broad shoulders, heads that looked too small for their oversized torsos, fists big enough to crush a child's head, and dark shades. Huh…they really wanted to keep him here.

One of the burly men - the one with his mammoth arms crossed across his chest - looked down on the lithe homunculus, snarling out, "You should return to your room now sir."

"Is that so?" Envy asked impetuously. "I'd really rather not. As I've already said; other engagements."

"They'll have to wait sir," the second guard responded calmly, clearly not threatened in the least.

Envy frowned. Of course they weren't afraid of him. He wasn't exactly an imposing person to someone who had never dealt with him. Lust had obviously been under the impression that Envy wouldn't be willing to make a scene and would simply slink back to the room. Well, she was wrong. He didn't give a damn. After all, who was going to stop him?

Scratching at his head absently, Envy muttered, "Well, if that's how it's going to be…" A viscious smile flashed across his pretty face and with one graceful sweep of his leg, he'd knocked the first guard down. As the large man fell, the acrobatic shape shifter hopped off his broad shoulders, giving him enough height and leverage to land a solid kick against the other's face. However, the first one had merely knocked down, and grabbed Envy's left ankle. Eyes flashing dangerously, Envy used his other foot to kick the large man mercilessly in the chin, smiling sadistically at the sound the man's head made as it hit the stone floor. However, even in the oddly comforting afterglow of his swift victory, the homunculus noted that the clerk had panicked and gone for the phone. It was time for Envy to leave.

However, as he picked his way graciously over the guards' bodies, he heard chibi-chan's frantic voice. "Envy, wait!!!"

No, not this time. Ignoring the call, Envy bolted into the street, quickly changing form to look like his favored 'Eric'. There were very few people on the street, but there were enough for him to slip into and disappear. As he slowed his pace to a more casual walking speed, occasionally acknowledging this or that person he passed, he heard the sound of police sirens in the distance. Well, this would probably make a paper or two. Not that it really mattered. Sure, Dante and Lust would probably blow a gasket or two, but it wouldn't last. The military would most likely be on high 'homunculus' alert or something, but Pride would see that that gets blown over soon enough. In all reality, it was pretty minor.

Behind him, he heard some sort of ruckus in the small evening crowd. Whatever. It was more than likely just some drunk causing trouble. It didn't matter to him. The bastard wasn't bothering the homunculus. Or so he thought. Suddenly, he found his arm being grabbed, flet himself being turned against his will. He resisted the urge to throw whoever it was through the nearest window, as he was trying to disguise himself as a typical Central citizen. But he found himself staring at Ed. Shit…

The alchemist was breathing heavily, no doubt having run after the shape shifter in order to catch up. His large eyes still held that unnerving determination that Envy couldn't interpret, and there was a small smile playing on his lips.

"You should have picked a different disguise," chibi-chan teased softly, barely audible over the muted conversation of the crowd moving around them.

Envy smiled sarcastically. "I didn't expect you to follow me," he replied.

Moving his hand from Envy's arm to the shape shifter's hand, Ed asked with oddly sincere courtesy, "Can I talk to you?"

"I already said no, chibi-chan," Envy scoffed, refusing to meet the other's gaze any longer. It pained the homunculus too much to see that sincerity directed at him, to see that concern for his feelings.

Ed tightened his grip on Envy's hand, pulling the older man in closer. "Please, just ten minutes."

The heat was on Envy's face again and he hated it. Chibi-chan had never been so publicly affectionate before and it bothered Envy. The boy was obviously desperate to say whatever it was he wanted to say. Giving in, Envy snorted, "Fine. But _only_ ten minutes." What could it hurt to hear the alchemist out?

Smiling, Ed kept his hold on Envy's hand and led the other man to a nearby café. Lucky for them it was open late. The blonde ordered both of them a coffee simply to get the waiter out of their way. It was apparent the boy had no interest in the beverage whatsoever. His focus was fixed entirely on the disguised homunculus.

"Can't you drop that?" Ed asked, frowning slightly.

Envy raised a cynical eyebrow. "After that scene I caused in the hotel? No."

Sighing, Ed nodded his understanding. "I guess that makes sense," he muttered, "But you brought that upon yourself."

"I did not!" Envy shot defensively, "Lust did. Her and her stupid secret deals with people. I'm so _sick_ of her right now!!" Taking a deep drink of his coffee, Envy then asked, "Now what did you want?"

Ed's face flushed slightly and he turned his eyes to the dark liquid in the cup before him. "I-I'm sorry," he started, "I didn't mean to hurt you back there. And I never meant to mislead you. I…I really do want to help you, Envy."

"I don't want your help," Envy shot back almost too quickly. "Besides," he attempted to clarify, "There's nothing I need help with."

The alchemist looked hurt, but only for a brief moment. "O-of course," chibi-chan mumbled, "I-I should have known." He lifted his eyes again, meeting Envy's stare and disarming the homunculus. "I meant it; when I said I loved you?"

Standing up quickly, his chair scraping the floor as he pushed it backwards, Envy hissed under his breath, "Stop _saying_ that. You don't _love_ me; you _want_ me. There's a difference, chibi-chan. They're called hormones, and _they're _responsible for the way you 'feel'." The shape shifter smiled darkly at the almost horrified look on the boy's face. "That's right," he sneered, "You get it now, don't you? Somehow, I don't think you'll need the last seven minutes."

"Envy, don't walk out on me again!" Ed's voice was a mixture of pain and frustration as he, too, got to his feet. "I'm sick of you running away!"

Envy turned around and glared at the younger man. "I'm not running from anything chibi-chan. I'm sparing your life." By now the two of them had drawn attention to themselves, and Envy cursed his luck. He made a mental note to _never_ go to a café again. Turning his back on the alchemist, Envy added, "Thanks for the coffee, chibi-chan, but I really do have other places to be."

Once again, the homunculus heard the other move to follow him, heard the blonde's determined footsteps. Oh, for the love of God!!

"WOULD YOU STOP FOLLOWING ME?!" Envy snapped, spinning violently around.

The blonde stumbled backwards, caught off guard by the other's outburst. And, spurred on by Ed's stunned silence, Envy pressed on.

"I am sick and tired of dealing with you, ok?! I don't want to do this anymore!! In the past three days, my life has become more fucked up then it ever has been before, and it's all because of you!! So just, get out of my face, ok? Just…just…fuck off!" And with that heated demand, Envy turned and practically ran from the café, dodging back into the evening crowd. He didn't bother changing appearances, he didn't care enough. But something in him ached horribly, like a horrible twisting that would rip every fiber of his being into tiny shreds. But he refused to think on it, refused to acknowledge it. For all he cared, it didn't even exist.

Once he was a fair way down the street, Envy hailed a taxi, muttering absently for the driver to take him to the derelict end of town. And, just like every time before, the human looked at him oddly, only to be dissuaded from such a thing when Envy shoved the wad of cash towards him. As a consequence, the driver got Envy to his destination in very little time, no doubt violating who knew how many traffic laws. What did Envy care? Shoving more cash in the human's direction, Envy stepped out of the cab and waved the man off. The shape shifter could see the large black sillhouette of the church and his feet made their way mechanically toward the place he called 'home'.

He reached the mansion easily enough, his mind empty the entire time. He didn't even notice Sloth as he walked past her, her soft voice not able to panetrate his wall of flustered thought. It wasn't until she lay her hand on his fleeing shoulder that he even realized she was there. And even then, he was expecting someone much different.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO…" But Envy managed to cut himself off as he found himself staring into Sloth's placid face.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. "Have a bad day, dear?"

Envy sighed heavily and massaged the bridge of his nose. God his head hurt. "Sorry about that," he muttered, "I'm a little edgy right now."

Taking Envy's hand in her own, she led him to the mansion's main sitting room and had him sit with her. Sloth stared at him with open concern, keeping his hand in her own. "Did you want to talk about it dear?" she asked softly.

"No!" he shot angrily, pulling away. Why had he even let her bring him this far? Shaking his head in vague confusion, he elaborated, "I'm tired, ok? I just want to get some sleep."

Sloth looked at him, but gave no rebuttal. Something in the way she stared scared him. Just what did she see? The shape shifter was afraid to know.

However, as he walked promptly out of the sitting room, he found himself faced with Lust. And, as he'd expected, she didn't look too thrilled to see him there. But he wasn't going to give her time to say anything, to ruin things more than they already had been. He simply continued walking, brushing coldly past her, knocking her hand away as she reached for him.

"Envy!" Lust called after him, "Come back here!"

He didn't even glance back over his shoulder. He didn't want to see her, to talk to her, to be near her. He just wanted to be alone. He made his way to his room well enough, Lust apparently not caring enough to follow after him. And as he opened his door, he found yet another distraction; his cat. And as he laid eyes on the animal, remembered just how much he'd put himself through, Envy broke down again, the tears flowing uncontrollably as he sank to the floor.

---

Several weeks passed before Envy was to see his chibi again. Dante had returned the day after Envy's miserable arrival from the hotel and had been furious at 'her' alchemist's disappearance. Lust had been dragged away for questioning, Envy receiving a 'talk' of his own. But her fury was short lived. After just over a day of her rants, screams, and general abuse, life returned to some semblence of normality. The homunculi had been given various individual assignments, all of which would lead in some way or another to their ultimate goal. None of them had once brought up the visit to the psychiatrist, nor had Lust ever spoken of the hotel. Meanwhile, Envy had rid himself of the kitten, not having been able to bear its presence any longer.

It was day twenty eight when Dante had called Envy to her, claiming to have a 'special' assignment for him.

"As you know, the Philosopher's Stone has been created," the master of the homunculi stated calmly, taking a dainty sip of her tea. "And seeing as you so openly defied my order's to go north, you might as well make yourself useful and retrieve it."

Envy frowned slightly. "Isn't that what Sloth went to do?" And Wrath had gone after her too. What did they need him for?

The woman sighed patiently, setting the mostly empty china cup on the table. "True, but I guess Lust has turned against us. You know her well enough to deal with it." A dark smile played across Dante's youthful face, twisting its general innocence into something almost disgustingly sinister. "Besides, Fullmetal's there. And last time we talked, I was sure you'd wanted to hurt him."

He'd figured as much. He wasn't stupid. And he wouldn't argue the point any further. After all, that's exactly what he'd said. When she'd told him - after explaining _his_ absense - that the Elric brothers had finally obtained the stone, all Envy could think was how good it would feel to take it away from them. How good it would be to finally watch the pain in chibi-chan's face, to finally know that the pain he'd suffered all those weeks ago was returned. So he bowed habitually on his way out, easily taking the form of Ed's beloved 'Winry'. What better way to hurt him then as his precious girlfriend?

Already well aware of where Sloth, Lust, and Wrath had tracked the boys to be, Envy easily made his way there. It was mid-afternoon as he arrived, and, apparently, things were just wrapping up. Envy took it upon himself to remain hidden behind one of the old building's many concrete pillars and simply watch the events unfold.

Sloth had been transmuted into something that clearly wasn't good for her, Wrath was injured from getting too close, Lust was nowhere to be seen, and the Elrics simply stood there, staring stupidly at the homunculus that was once their mother. And then she was gone, having evaporated in the room temperature environment, Wrath breaking into hysterical tears. Well, now was as good a time as any.

"Ed? Al?" Envy's voice was painfully unfamiliar to him. He'd never actually met the girl, simply seen her, made note of her. Now he had to pretend to be her.

The two boys spun around in shocked amazement. All things considered, their friend shouldn't have been there.

"Winry?" Ed muttered.

Al seemed a tad more frantic about it. "What's wrong?" the younger brother asked, "Did something happen in the village?"

Shaking his head to reassure the worried suit of armor, Envy corrected, "I was worried, so I came." Then he smiled faintly, sadly. "You finally beat her."

Apparently, that had blown his cover. "You're not Winry," chibi-chan growled, shoulders tensing. Someone wasn't happy to see him.

The younger Elric acted on his brother's accusation, moving towards the shape shifter. Envy had to think fast.

Saying the first thing that came to mind, Envy called out with forced emotion, "Al, please, I love you!"

That halted the boy in his tracks, giving Envy just the opening he was looking for. Moving swiftly forward, he twisted the large body's arm behind it and pushed the boy forward, forcing him into submission. Ed scoffed in frustration, but was clearly too afraid to make a move while the homunculus had his brother hostage.

"This is where it ends," Envy sneered, enjoying the look of utter defeat on his chibi's face. Yes, that's right, hurt like you made _me_ hurt.

"It's pointless," Al retorted, cutting into Envy's bitter memories, "I'm the Philosopher's Stone."

A mocking smile spread across the shape shifter's face. "What did you say?" he derided, shifting back to his own appearance, "Then you won't mind if I try something?" Flexing his hand threateningly, Envy added, "I wonder if you'll be ok if I break this." And reaching into the armour's hollow torso, Envy struck violently at the blood seal, feeling it cave under his strength.

The younger boy gasped, Ed panicked. "Stop it!!" chibi-chan cried hysterically, "Don't touch Al!!"

But the terror was unfounded. The younger Elric was fine; Envy had expected as much. Derisive smile still firmly in place, Envy ridiculed, "You don't have to worry. I'm only taking him to that person's place after all."

"That person…" Al mumbled in mild confusion.

On the contrary, chibi-chan knew exactly what Envy was talking about. Clever boy. "The one that Lust was talking about," the blonde growled, "The one controlling all of you! The person who was looking for the stone in order to become immortal."

Oh this was too good. Chibi-chan was making this too easy. "I dunno," Envy teased, "But let's just say that you aren't completely unrelated."

The shock that passed over the boy's face, that moment of realization and pain, brought cynical pleasure to the homunculus. He was finally getting the revenge he'd so longed for. Yet that wasn't all he felt. His joy was chased by a horrid aftertaste; something like the pain he'd thought he'd forgotten, the pain he'd suffered that night at the hotel. No! He couldn't lose face now. After all, chibi-chan was talking again.

"Could it be that the one controlling you took mom as one of his associates on purpose?" the small alchemist snarled dangerously, "That man is…"

"It can't be!!" Al had decided to cut in, obviously uncomfortable with whatever Edward was implying. "Father would never do such a thing!!"

Envy felt a blow hit those same emotions yet again. So they were talking about _him_. Well, whatever worked. As long as chibi-chan suffered. But Envy had no desire to stick around any longer. Hefting Al's large body onto his shoulder, he smiled, "Now, let's go."

Wrath, apparently, had different plans. Lunging forward, the smaller homunculus latched onto Envy's leg, preventing his exit. What was it now?!

"Hey, hey!" Envy managed, "You're aiming at the wrong guy! Hold him back." He gestured towards Ed with a nod of his head, hoping that Wrath would get the idea.

But the child was stupid or something, as he held on, pleading desperately, "That guy can do anything!!"

What the hell was he talking about? Chibi-chan? And then Envy understood. Wrath wanted the Philosopher's Stone. Like hell that was going to happen. "No," he snorted, "You can't touch him."

"If we use him, mommy will come back, right?"

That same pain ripped through Envy's body yet again. Why did Wrath care so much?! Homunculi didn't _have_ parents! They were solitary creatures, only ever taking solice in the presence of other homunculi, and even then the relationships were strained.

Sickened by the obvious show of weakness and dependence, Envy kicked Wrath away from himself callously. "Stop fooling around!" he snapped, noting that the child landed at chibi-chan's feet. Let him deal with Wrath.

As he turned and walked away - his good mood over Ed's pain having died - he heard chibi-chan call after him, shouting for his younger brother. But he also heard his movements stop. Clearly, Wrath had held him back. It was about damn time.

Branches snapped beneath the shape shifter's burdened weight, the younger Elric cursing and shouting the whole time. Envy paid him no mind. He'd done his job; the Philosopher's Stone was secured. And he'd even managed to hurt Ed emotionally, just as he'd aimed to do. It was a shame he hadn't been able to beat the little shit senseless, but Dante had told him only to recover the stone. Chibi-chan could die later. For now, he had to return to the mansion and deliver his package. Why did they have to live so damn far away?!

Several minutes into his walk, he heard the crunching of underbrush behind him. It was probably Wrath, finally attempting to catch up. But if that was the case, then why was he walking so slowly? Turning around, Envy swore violently. It was chibi-chan.

The teenager stood there, leaning heavily on his still flesh leg. Apparently his automail had been damaged at some point, which meant the alchemist had limped all this way. That would certainly explain why he looked so exhausted.

"Are you stupid chibi-chan?" Envy scorned, "I have no reason _not_ to kill you anymore."

Catching his breath as best he could, Ed said flatly, "I know that. But you have my brother, and I want him back."

Envy laughed contemptuously. "You think I'll just hand him over to you?" he asked with a broad, condescending grin, "Fat chance."

"Envy," the alchemist mumbled, "I don't want to have to fight you."

Glaring coldly, Envy shot back, "No fucking duh. Look at you! You can barely stand. Just turn around and walk away." Why was he giving chibi-chan the chance to run?? He _wanted_ to kill him, didn't he?

"Nii-san," Al piped up, "Y-you should listen to him. You're in no condition to fight him."

Ed shook his head defiantly, evidently refusing both of them. "No Al," he said with firm conviction, "I'm not leaving you here. I'm not leaving either of you."

What? What was that supposed to mean? Taking a cautious step backwards, Envy tried to remain disdainful. "Whatever, chibi-chan. You can't keep up with me on that leg of yours."

But the boy remained undaunted. "Envy, I'm not going to let you run away again," Ed pressed, "What I did back then…I shouldn't have let you leave. And now that you have Al…" A heartbreaking smile played on the boy's lips. "…there's no way I can let you go."

Al had fallen silent, no doubt confused as to what his brother was talking about. So chibi-chan hadn't told his beloved younger brother about their little fiasco. Well, Envy was sure they were both the better for that. But all this talk of those days aroused memories better left forgotten, and Envy couldn't take it.

Raking his free hand through his emerald-black hair, Envy retaliated, "Well you did let me go, and you did the right thing by it. There's nothing you could have done then chibi-chan, and there's nothing you can do now."

In spite of this verbal rejection, and much to Envy's surprise, the chibi closed the gap between them fairly quickly and kissed the shape shifter without reserve. The boy was lucky Envy was holding Alphonse the way he was.

**(( :D ALTERNATE STARTS NOW!!! ))**

Envy groaned and tensed his body, but chibi-chan had wrapped his arms about the other's waist, preventing escape. Slowly, the boy drew back, leaning his forehead against the homunculus' chest. Envy wasn't sure what to think, his mind firing ideas off faster than he could comprehend them. This went against everything Envy knew about the blonde. Chibi-chan didn't _do_ public displays of affection, certainly not in front of people he knew.

With his arms still locked firmly to Envy's waist, Ed whispered softly, "I love you, Envy. I did then, and I still do now. Please, don't do this."

Envy stared at the top of the boy's head, vaguely aware of the startled sound his hostage had made. Chibi-chan had said it again. After all this time, and everything Envy had just done to him, the alchemist still made that ridiculous claim. But, then, did that mean…?

"Chibi-chan," Envy scolded teasingly, "Didn't we talk about this? You don't…"

"I do though!" Ed had interrupted, had tightened his grip. "Besides," he muttered, looking up into Envy's face, "Since when did you know me better than I do?"

Face flushing slightly, Envy stammered momentarily, not quite sure what to say. So Ed played off of his silence.

"After you left that night, I hated myself. I'd let you walk away. I never should have done that. And you'd disappeared. You never came back; not until today. There were so many things I still wanted to say to you, so much that I thought I could do for you. And now that you're here again, now that I have this chance, I'm not going to let it slip through my fingers again." Ed smiled faintly, kissing Envy softly. "I love you."

Envy shook his head. He was breaking, he could feel it. With every word the other spoke, another part of him gave in. He wanted so badly to believe the boy, but he knew it was a lie. And he had to let that be known. "You _can't_ love me, chibi-chan," the shape shifter choked, hating how weak he sounded, "You just…_can't_. It's not possible!"

"They also said I couldn't get into the military at my age," Ed pointed out, "Or perform alchemy without a transmutation circle. But I did, and I can." Kissing Envy for a third time, this time with quite a bit more force, Ed finished, "I don't believe in the 'impossible'."

Every emotional barrier Envy had collapsed. Every defense he'd put in place was shattered. Chibi-chan had broken through, had reached a place in Envy's very being that he'd thought he'd guarded so well. Envy couldn't fight any longer, couldn't resist. Knees trembling, silent tears streaked his face as the homunculus wrapped his free arm about the alchemist's lithe form, instinctively resting his head on the boy's shoulder. Envy was scared, lost, confused, but as Edward held him close, whispering soft assurances, he felt that much safer. Maybe, just maybe, he had the chance to be loved after all.

_--End--_


End file.
